Green Eyes
by Vegetanime
Summary: Youichi Hiruma didn't feel any anxiousness or eagerness to attend the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, but it was only logical to think that a school of magic would finally provide the entertainment he craved. Set after the 7th book, Eyeshield 21 AU. FIRST 3 CHAPTERS CHARACTER SHEETS.
1. 1st Years - Character sheets

_**AUTHOR'S NOTE**_ _ **: This is a crossover between the Harry Potter series and Eyeshield 21. The setting is Harry Potter's world, more or less 16 years after the end of the 7**_ _ **th**_ _ **book. The Eyeshield 21 characters will be students at Hogwarts, along with some unimportant OCs to fill in the voids, but the rest will be from JK Rowling's books (I'll try to make things as loyal to the books and its universe as possible).**_

 _ **For the sake of the story, please ignore the Japanese precedence of both characters and names. Imagine what you like, either ignore it or think of a massive immigration of Japanese wizards a hundred years ago, but in this story they are all English, no relation to Japan at all.**_

 _ **One mayor canon divergence that I think is important to mention is that Snape is alive and kicking, and teaching Potions. The reasons will be explained later on in the story, but he's one of my favourites, and just couldn't kill him off in my own story… so he got saved in the end. Perks of being the author. I would have revived George too, put I felt I was pushing it ^^U**_

 _ **Also, the original characters from outside school won't appear much. Mentioned certainly, and maybe a small cameo or so, but the story's main character is Hiruma and the Boy Who Lived has had enough spotlight in his own books already.**_

 _ **As mentioned in the summary, the first 3 chapters will be some character sheets in age order, explaining each person's sorting and wand types. To sort them I took into account mainly their personality, but with the difficult cases I also looked at their original High School and University arrangement, and this story's Quiddich teams. I've added some background where I felt it played a major role in the Sorting Hat's and their own decision. If you feel that someone should have been sorted anywhere else please let me know, I'd love to discuss.**_

 _ **Suggestions are appreciated.**_

 _ **X**_

 _ **X**_

 _ **X**_

 _ **First Year:**_

 **GRYFFINDOR:**

 **.**

 **.**

 _ **Sena Kobayakawa**_

As he's neither studious, particularly intelligent nor cunning, the only other House he could have fit in was Hufflepuff. But even though he's nice and patient, certainly good Huff material, the Hat put him in Gryffindor. The reason is that, beneath his cowardice and submissive behaviour lies a dormant bravery and desire to do right.

 **WAND:**

 _Larch_

" Strong, durable and warm in colour, larch has long been valued as an attractive and powerful wand wood. Its reputation for instilling courage and confidence in the user has ensured that demand has always outstripped supply. This much sought-after wand is, however, hard to please in the matter of ideal owners, and trickier to handle than many imagine. I find that it always creates wands of hidden talents and unexpected effects, which likewise describes the master who deserves it. It is often the case that the witch or wizard who belongs to the larch wand may never realise the full extent of their considerable talents until paired with it, but that they will then make an exceptional match. "

 _Unicorn Hair_

While this core does not generally produce the strongest wands-although the wand wood may enhance its power-wands that have unicorn hair in them are the least flamboyant, decreasing its susceptibility to fluctuations and blockages. Advantages of this core are that it usually produces the most consistent magic, and that it is the most faithful to its owner of the three cores. A wand with a core of unicorn hair is harder to turn to the Dark Arts than dragon heartstring and phoenix feather, a factor that many witches and wizards like.

11 ½ inches

Reasonably flexible

.

.

 _ **Tarou "Monta" Raimon**_

Daring, brave and reckless. He wouldn't fit in any other House: he isn't intelligent nor studious enough for Ravenclaw, although ambitious he doesn't have the cunning to be in Slytherin, and even though he's dedicated and hardworking, he's too reckless and explosive to be in Hufflepuff. His great ambition is to become a professional Keeper.

 **WAND:**

 _Hornbeam_

"My own wand is made of hornbeam, and so it is with all due modesty that I state that hornbeam selects for its life mate the talented witch or wizard with a single, pure passion, which some might call obsession (though I prefer the term 'vision'), which will almost always be realised. Hornbeam wands adapt more quickly than almost any other to their owner's style of magic, and will become so personalised, so quickly, that other people will find them extremely difficult to use even for the most simple of spells. Hornbeam wands likewise absorb their owner's code of honour, whatever that might be, and will refuse to perform acts - whether for good or ill - that do not tally with their master's principles. A particularly fine-tuned and sentient wand."

 _Dragon Heartstring_

This core is the most flamboyant of the three, and often produces the strongest wands. Dragon heartstring usually favours ambitious spell-casting and as a result the wand is more likely to turn to the Dark Arts than any other core; however, a wand that has this core will not do so of its own will. Dragon heartstring wands generally aren't sensitive to moving on from previous owners, but bond strongly with the current owner. This core produces wands that are most prone to accidents, being quite temperamental at times.

13 ½ inches

Rigid

 **.**

 **.**

 _ **Takeru Yamato**_

Although intelligent and wise enough to be a Ravenclaw, he doesn't thrill on knowledge, and therefore he wouldn't fit in that House. He may be kind and hardworking, but he's in no way a Hufflepuff.

The hat had trouble choosing between Slytherin and Gryffindor. He is definitely ambitious and cunning, manipulative when he needs it. He's brave, chivalrous and honourable. When asked where he would like to be put in, he surprisingly opted for Gryffindor (coming from a pureblood, elitist family). The boy assured that his family wasn't pressuring him to be in any particular House, but that everyone thought he'd end up with the Snakes. He thought it would be an interesting experience to go against everyone's expectations, and felt that's he'd fit far better with the Lions. And so, the hat put him in Gryffindor.

 **WAND:**

 _Apple_

" Applewood wands are not made in great numbers. They are powerful and best suited to an owner of high aims and ideals, as this wood mixes poorly with Dark magic. It is said that the possessor of an apple wand will be well-loved and long-lived, and I have often noticed that customers of great personal charm find their perfect match in an applewood wand. An unusual ability to converse with other magical beings in their native tongues is often found among apple wand owners, who include the celebrated author of Merpeople: A Comprehensive Guide to Their Language and Customs, Dylan Marwood.

 _Phoenix_

"This is the rarest core type. Phoenix feathers are capable of the greatest range of magic, though they may take longer than either unicorn or dragon cores to reveal this. They show the most initiative, sometimes acting of their own accord, a quality that many witches and wizards dislike. Phoenix feather wands are always the pickiest when it comes to potential owners, for the creature from which they are taken is one of the most independent and detached in the world. These wands are the hardest to tame and to personalise, and their allegiance is usually hard won."

14 inches

Rigid

.

.

 _ **Riku Kaitani**_

Has traits of all Houses in abundance. Studious and intelligent from Ravenclaw, ambitious and determined from Slytherin, kind and hard working from Hufflepuff, and brave and chivalrous from Gryffindor.

He doesn't pursue knowledge for the sake of knowledge though, so not Ravenclaw, and he is too ambitious to be Hufflepuff. So the choice is between Sly and Gryff. The hat chose Gryff, because he is too honest and forward to be a Slytherin, and he'd rather do what's right before what's necessary.

 **WAND:**

 _Black Walnut_

" Less common than the standard walnut wand, that of black walnut seeks a master of good instincts and powerful insight. Black walnut is a very handsome wood, but not the easiest to master. It has one pronounced quirk, which is that it is abnormally attuned to inner conflict, and loses power dramatically if its possessor practises any form of self-deception. If the witch or wizard is unable or unwilling to be honest with themselves or others, the wand often fails to perform adequately and must be matched with a new owner if it is to regain its former prowess. Paired with a sincere, self-aware owner, however, it becomes one of the most loyal and impressive wands of all, with a particular flair in all kinds of charmwork. "

 _Unicorn Hair_

While this core does not generally produce the strongest wands-although the wand wood may enhance its power-wands that have unicorn hair in them are the least flamboyant, decreasing its susceptibility to fluctuations and blockages. Advantages of this core are that it usually produces the most consistent magic, and that it is the most faithful to its owner of the three cores. A wand with a core of unicorn hair is harder to turn to the Dark Arts than dragon heartstring and phoenix feather, a factor that many witches and wizards like.

12 inches

Reasonably rigid

.

.

 _ **Rikiya Gaou**_

An unusually large and fit boy whose only aim in life is to duel and fight against powerful wizards. Therefore, due to his reckless and brash nature, the Hat could only sort him into Gryffindor, even though he has some traits of the other Houses (hard work, dedication, ambition).

 **WAND:**

 _Blackthorn_

" Blackthorn, which is a very unusual wand wood, has the reputation, in my view well-merited, of being best suited to a warrior. This does not necessarily mean that its owner practises the Dark Arts (although it is undeniable that those who do so will enjoy the blackthorn wand's prodigious power); one finds blackthorn wands among the Aurors as well as among the denizens of Azkaban. It is a curious feature of the blackthorn bush, which sports wicked thorns, that it produces its sweetest berries after the hardest frosts, and the wands made from this wood appear to need to pass through danger or hardship with their owners to become truly bonded. Given this condition, the blackthorn wand will become as loyal and faithful a servant as one could wish. "

 _Dragon Heartstring_

This core is the most flamboyant of the three, and often produces the strongest wands. Dragon heartstring usually favours ambitious spell-casting and as a result the wand is more likely to turn to the Dark Arts than any other core; however, a wand that has this core will not do so of its own will. Dragon heartstring wands generally aren't sensitive to moving on from previous owners, but bond strongly with the current owner. This core produces wands that are most prone to accidents, being quite temperamental at times.

Length: 13 ½ inches

Rigid

.

.

 _ **Suzuna Taki**_

An easy-going, friendly girl without further ambition than having a good time and making friends. This doesn't make her suitable for the Slytherin House, although she can be sly and manipulative when she wants to.

She's not particularly intelligent, and doesn't like to study, so not Ravenclaw, even though she's quite creative. She's kind and friendly, but she doesn't have the patience or the danger-aversion to be a Hufflepuff.

Being brave, quite reckless and adventurous, Gryffindor is the House that best suits her.

 **WAND:**

 _Dogwood_

" Dogwood is one of my own personal favourites, and I have found that matching a dogwood wand with its ideal owner is always entertaining. Dogwood wands are quirky and mischievous; they have playful natures and insist upon partners who can provide them with scope for excitement and fun. It would be quite wrong, however, to deduce from this that dogwood wands are not capable of serious magic when called upon to do so; they have been known to perform outstanding spells under difficult conditions, and when paired with a suitably clever and ingenious witch or wizard, can produce dazzling enchantments. An interesting foible of many dogwood wands is that they refuse to perform non-verbal spells and they are often rather noisy. "

 _Unicorn Hair_

While this core does not generally produce the strongest wands-although the wand wood may enhance its power-wands that have unicorn hair in them are the least flamboyant, decreasing its susceptibility to fluctuations and blockages. Advantages of this core are that it usually produces the most consistent magic, and that it is the most faithful to its owner of the three cores. A wand with a core of unicorn hair is harder to turn to the Dark Arts than dragon heartstring and phoenix feather, a factor that many witches and wizards like.

13 ½ inches

Reasonably flexible

.

.

 _ **Kouji Kuroki**_

Unruly and troublesome teenager, he'd be trouble in any of the Houses. Not smart or studious enough to be in Ravenclaw. Not particularly kind or hardworking either, so not Hufflepuff either. Not ambitious or cunning enough to be in Slytherin.

On the other hand, he is reckless and daring, and if the situation requires it, brave too. Therefore, Gryffindor it is. The only problem is that one member of his inseparable trio of friends hasn't ended up in Gryffindor with them. At first they were angry, not with him but just angry for letting themselves be separated like this, but then they calmed down because they had always known Juumonji was different from them. So now they are one of the most controversial friendships in Hogwarts, not that they care.

 **WAND**

 _Chestnut_

" This is a most curious, multi-faceted wood, which varies greatly in its character depending on the wand core, and takes a great deal of colour from the personality that possesses it. The wand of chestnut is attracted to witches and wizards who are skilled tamers of magical beasts, those who possess great gifts in Herbology, and those who are natural fliers. However, when paired with dragon heartstring, it may find its best match among those who are overfond of luxury and material things, and less scrupulous than they should be about how they are obtained. Conversely, three successive heads of the Wizengamot have possessed chestnut and unicorn wands, for this combination shows a predilection for those concerned with all manner of justice. "

 _Dragon Heartstring_

This core is the most flamboyant of the three, and often produces the strongest wands. Dragon heartstring usually favours ambitious spell-casting and as a result the wand is more likely to turn to the Dark Arts than any other core; however, a wand that has this core will not do so of its own will. Dragon heartstring wands generally aren't sensitive to moving on from previous owners, but bond strongly with the current owner. This core produces wands that are most prone to accidents, being quite temperamental at times.

12 inches

Reasonably Rigid

.

.

 _ **Shouzou Toganou**_ __

Unruly and troublesome teenager, he'd be trouble in any of the Houses. Although creative, not smart or studious enough to be in Ravenclaw. Not particularly kind or hardworking either, so not Hufflepuff either. Not ambitious or cunning enough to be in Slytherin.

On the other hand, he is reckless and daring, and if the situation requires it, brave too. Therefore, Gryffindor it is. The only problem is that one member of his inseparable trio of friends hasn't ended up in Gryffindor with them. At first they were angry, not with him but just angry for letting themselves be separated like this, but then they calmed down because they had always known Juumonji was different from them. So now they are one of the most controversial friendships in Hogwarts, not that they care.

 **WAND:**

 _Chestnut_

" This is a most curious, multi-faceted wood, which varies greatly in its character depending on the wand core, and takes a great deal of colour from the personality that possesses it. The wand of chestnut is attracted to witches and wizards who are skilled tamers of magical beasts, those who possess great gifts in Herbology, and those who are natural fliers. However, when paired with dragon heartstring, it may find its best match among those who are overfond of luxury and material things, and less scrupulous than they should be about how they are obtained. Conversely, three successive heads of the Wizengamot have possessed chestnut and unicorn wands, for this combination shows a predilection for those concerned with all manner of justice. "

 _Dragon Heartstring_

This core is the most flamboyant of the three, and often produces the strongest wands. Dragon heartstring usually favours ambitious spell-casting and as a result the wand is more likely to turn to the Dark Arts than any other core; however, a wand that has this core will not do so of its own will. Dragon heartstring wands generally aren't sensitive to moving on from previous owners, but bond strongly with the current owner. This core produces wands that are most prone to accidents, being quite temperamental at times.

11 ½ inches

Rigid

.

.

.

 **SLYTHERIN**

 **.**

 **.**

 _ **Kazuki Juumonji**_

When you're the only son of an elite pureblood family, you usually end up being quite spoiled, arrogant and posh (a bit like Draco Malfoy in his time). However, given the bad relationship Kazuki Juumonji has had with his father for as long as he could remember, he always tried his hardest to do exactly the contrary of what was expected of him. He was best friends with a muggleborn and a low class pureblood, he spent more time playing around and practicing funny and practically useless spells instead of studying and he was always getting into trouble. But once he arrived to Hogwarts, the Sorting forced him to really think about his life choices. He didn't want to be labelled as scum, like he and his friends had been at the beginning, but he didn't want to end up like his father either. He wanted to prove himself capable, but get out of his father's and family's shadow and create a name for himself.

That's why, even though he was reckless and daring most of the time, he ended up in Slytherin for his ambition and determination.

 **WAND**

 _Holly_

" Holly is one of the rarer kinds of wand woods; traditionally considered protective, it works most happily for those who may need help overcoming a tendency to anger and impetuosity. At the same time, holly wands often choose owners who are engaged in some dangerous and often spiritual quest. Holly is one of those woods that varies most dramatically in performance depending on the wand core, and it is a notoriously difficult wood to team with phoenix feather, as the wood's volatility conflicts strangely with the phoenix's detachment. In the unusual event of such a pairing finding its ideal match, however, nothing and nobody should stand in their way. "

 _Dragon Heartstring_

This core is the most flamboyant of the three, and often produces the strongest wands. Dragon heartstring usually favours ambitious spell-casting and as a result the wand is more likely to turn to the Dark Arts than any other core; however, a wand that has this core will not do so of its own will. Dragon heartstring wands generally aren't sensitive to moving on from previous owners, but bond strongly with the current owner. This core produces wands that are most prone to accidents, being quite temperamental at times.

12 3/4 inches

Reasonably rigid

.

.

 _ **Reiji "Marco" Maruko**_

He is intelligent and witty, but he's too ambitious and cunning to be a Ravenclaw. He's ready to do anything to achieve his goals, so he wouldn't fit in the most rule-loving House.

While he is hardworking and he is indeed nice if it doesn't conflict with his purposes, he is too individualistic and power-hungry to be in Hufflepuff.

He does consider himself chivalrous, but aside from that, he's too self-preservative and sly to be in Gryffindor.

He fits in Slytherin quite nicely, and the Hat didn't need a second to Sort him.

 **WAND**

 _Ebony_

" This jet-black wand wood has an impressive appearance and reputation, being highly suited to all manner of combative magic, and to Transfiguration. Ebony is happiest in the hand of those with the courage to be themselves. Frequently non-conformist, highly individual or comfortable with the status of outsider, ebony wand owners have been found both among the ranks of the Order of the Phoenix and among the Death Eaters. In my experience the ebony wand's perfect match is one who will hold fast to his or her beliefs, no matter what the external pressure, and will not be swayed lightly from their purpose. "

 _Dragon Heartstring_

This core is the most flamboyant of the three, and often produces the strongest wands. Dragon heartstring usually favours ambitious spell-casting and as a result the wand is more likely to turn to the Dark Arts than any other core; however, a wand that has this core will not do so of its own will. Dragon heartstring wands generally aren't sensitive to moving on from previous owners, but bond strongly with the current owner. This core produces wands that are most prone to accidents, being quite temperamental at times.

14 inches

Rigid

.

.

.

 **RAVENCLAW**

 **.**

 **.**

 _ **Shun Kakei**_

He rebelled for some years when he was sent abroad against his will, but encountered a wizard that changed his life and made him view the magic world in a whole different perspective. Now determined to become a great wizard, he wants the House that'll best suit his needs.

He wouldn't end up in Gryffindor, for while he is quite reckless when angry, that doesn't happen much and he usually thinks things through before acting.

He became a really hardworking after deciding his ambition, but he isn't especially kind or loyal, not if people haven't earned it through sweat and blood, so to speak. Hufflepuff isn't right for him.

He is ambitious, dedicated and cunning when he wants to be, so he could easily end up in Slytherin. But he is also intelligent, quite wise for his age and he's quite the rule follower, so Ravenclaw would be a good choice too.

The Hat gave him the final choice, and after some seconds of deliberation, he decided on Ravenclaw, for he believes the House in general is more focused on studies and grades than Slytherin is, and he prefers to end his school years knowledgeable and with brilliant marks, rather than glorious and popular. There will be time for that later.

 **WAND:**

 _Elm_

" The unfounded belief that only pure-bloods can produce magic from elm wands was undoubtedly started by some elm wand owner seeking to prove his own blood credentials, for I have known perfect matches of elm wands who are Muggle-borns. The truth is that elm wands prefer owners with presence, magical dexterity and a certain native dignity. Of all wand woods, elm, in my experience, produces the fewest accidents, the least foolish errors, and the most elegant charms and spells; these are sophisticated wands, capable of highly advanced magic in the right hands (which, again, makes it highly desirable to those who espouse the pure-blood philosophy). "

 _Veela hair_

While Garrick Ollivander usually only makes wands with Dragon Heartstring, Unicorn Hair and Phoenix Feather as a core, this particular wand had been one of his multiple experiments, born from many tests. He hadn't thought it was fully functional, and had stored it away with the other experiments, never thinking of selling it. He was surprised when the wand found its match.

13 ½ inches

Rigid

.

.

 _ **Taka Honjou**_

His father was a really famous Quidditch player and trained him almost from birth, but he isn't too interested in the sport. Surprisingly serious and stoic even as a young kid. He's smart and studious. He has no real ambition, being quite bored with life in general, so he decided that he'd try and learn as much as he could to find something he'd enjoy.

He isn't reckless or impetuous, he isn't ambitious or sly and he isn't particularly nice even though he is quite hardworking. The only House whose objective he'd choose to fulfill is Ravenclaw, which is just fine because he wouldn't fit in any other.

 **WAND:**

 _Pine_

" The straight-grained pine wand always chooses an independent, individual master who may be perceived as a loner, intriguing and perhaps mysterious. Pine wands enjoy being used creatively, and unlike some others, will adapt unprotestingly to new methods and spells. Many wandmakers insist that pine wands are able to detect, and perform best for, owners who are destined for long lives, and I can confirm this in as much as I have never personally known the master of a pine wand to die young. The pine wand is one of those that is most sensitive to non-verbal magic. "

 _Phoenix_

"This is the rarest core type. Phoenix feathers are capable of the greatest range of magic, though they may take longer than either unicorn or dragon cores to reveal this. They show the most initiative, sometimes acting of their own accord, a quality that many witches and wizards dislike. Phoenix feather wands are always the pickiest when it comes to potential owners, for the creature from which they are taken is one of the most independent and detached in the world. These wands are the hardest to tame and to personalise, and their allegiance is usually hard won."

14 inches

Reasonably rigid

.

.

 _ **Karin Koizumi**_

Nice and polite girl who would go out of her way to make other people happy. She's practically the personification of the Hufflepuff House: dedicated, hardworking, fair, patient, kind, tolerant and unafraid of toil. However, she's a natural artist, and her creativity and thirst for the magical world's knowledge send her straight to Ravenclaw.

 **WAND:**

 _Willow_

" Willow is an uncommon wand wood with healing power, and I have noted that the ideal owner for a willow wand often has some (usually unwarranted) insecurity, however well they may try and hide it. While many confident customers insist on trying a willow wand (attracted by their handsome appearance and well-founded reputation for enabling advanced, non-verbal magic) my willow wands have consistently selected those of greatest potential, rather than those who feel they have little to learn. It has always been a proverb in my family that he who has furthest to travel will go fastest with willow. "

 _Unicorn Hair_

While this core does not generally produce the strongest wands-although the wand wood may enhance its power-wands that have unicorn hair in them are the least flamboyant, decreasing its susceptibility to fluctuations and blockages. Advantages of this core are that it usually produces the most consistent magic, and that it is the most faithful to its owner of the three cores. A wand with a core of unicorn hair is harder to turn to the Dark Arts than dragon heartstring and phoenix feather, a factor that many witches and wizards like.

Length: 11 1/2 inches

Reasonably flexible

.

.

.

 **HUFFLEPUFF**

 **.**

 **.**

 _ **Natsuhiko Taki**_

An overeager, often obnoxious boy who changes his life aims like changing clothes. He's not smart nor studious, so although he is quite creative and original, he wouldn't fit in Ravenclaw. He is quite reckless and daring, but this is more due to his overconfidence and air-headedness than an actual act of bravery, so not Gryffindor either. He wouldn't fit in Slytherin because while he is dedicated, his objectives are too fickle to be called ambitions, and he isn't cunning or sly enough. On the other hand, he is nice enough, hardworking and patient with other people, and is always ready to help, as he believes is his duty for being "gifted". A well-meaning idiot that'd find his home in Hufflepuff.

 **WAND:**

 _Laurel_

" It is said that a laurel wand cannot perform a dishonourable act, although in the quest for glory (a not uncommon goal for those best suited to these wands), I have known laurel wands perform powerful and sometimes lethal magic. Laurel wands are sometimes called fickle, but this is unfair. The laurel wand seems unable to tolerate laziness in a possessor, and it is in such conditions that it is most easily and willingly won away. Otherwise, it will cleave happily to its first match forever, and indeed has the unusual and engaging attribute of issuing a spontaneous lightning strike if another witch or wizard attempts to steal it. "

 _Unicorn Hair_

While this core does not generally produce the strongest wands-although the wand wood may enhance its power-wands that have unicorn hair in them are the least flamboyant, decreasing its susceptibility to fluctuations and blockages. Advantages of this core are that it usually produces the most consistent magic, and that it is the most faithful to its owner of the three cores. A wand with a core of unicorn hair is harder to turn to the Dark Arts than dragon heartstring and phoenix feather, a factor that many witches and wizards like.

12 ¾ inches

Flexible

.

.

 _ **Daikichi Komusubi**_

A single-minded boy whose only purpose in life is duelling. This being so, one would think he'd be Sorted into Slytherin, but he is neither sly nor cunning, and he is too chivalrous and daring to be so. He wouldn't fit in Ravenclaw either, for he isn't studious nor interested in the pursuit of knowledge.

Therefore, he could either be Sorted into Gryffindor or Hufflepuff. Finally, the Hat decided for the latter, as he was very hardworking, dedicated and loyal, and not reckless enough to be Gryffindor.

 **WAND:**

 _Cedar_

" Whenever I meet one who carries a cedar wand, I find strength of character and unusual loyalty. My father, Gervaise Ollivander, used always to say, 'you will never fool the cedar carrier,' and I agree: the cedar wand finds its perfect home where there is perspicacity and perception. I would go further than my father, however, in saying that I have never yet met the owner of a cedar wand whom I would care to cross, especially if harm is done to those of whom they are fond. The witch or wizard who is well-matched with cedar carries the potential to be a frightening adversary, which often comes as a shock to those who have thoughtlessly challenged them. "

 _Dragon Heartstring_

This core is the most flamboyant of the three, and often produces the strongest wands. Dragon heartstring usually favours ambitious spell-casting and as a result the wand is more likely to turn to the Dark Arts than any other core; however, a wand that has this core will not do so of its own will. Dragon heartstring wands generally aren't sensitive to moving on from previous owners, but bond strongly with the current owner. This core produces wands that are most prone to accidents, being quite temperamental at times.

11 ½ inches

Rigid

.

.

 _ **Kengo Mizumachi**_

A cheerful, sometimes over-eager boy who is quite unconcerned with studying. That's the main reason why he wouldn't fit in Ravenclaw, but he isn't particularly intelligent or wise either. He doesn't have a clear ambition, and he isn't sly or cunning either, so not Slytherin.

He would fit well in either of the two remaining Houses. On the one hand, even though he isn't very patient, he is kind, hardworking and dedicated. On the other hand, he is brave, courageous and quite reckless. The Hat let him choose, and he chose Hufflepuff. The reason wasn't too deep or given much thought, he just felt that the people there were more open. After being constantly pushed aside for being too eager, he was adamant on being with people that would appreciate his dedication and hard work.

 **WAND:**

 _Dogwood_

" Dogwood is one of my own personal favourites, and I have found that matching a dogwood wand with its ideal owner is always entertaining. Dogwood wands are quirky and mischievous; they have playful natures and insist upon partners who can provide them with scope for excitement and fun. It would be quite wrong, however, to deduce from this that dogwood wands are not capable of serious magic when called upon to do so; they have been known to perform outstanding spells under difficult conditions, and when paired with a suitably clever and ingenious witch or wizard, can produce dazzling enchantments. An interesting foible of many dogwood wands is that they refuse to perform non-verbal spells and they are often rather noisy. "

 _Veela hair_

While Garrick Ollivander usually only makes wands with Dragon Heartstring, Unicorn Hair and Phoenix Feather as a core, this particular wand had been one of his multiple experiments, born from many tests. He hadn't thought it was fully functional, and had stored it away with the other experiments, never thinking of selling it. He was surprised when the wand found its match.

14 inches

Reasonably flexible

.

.

 **Author's note** **: Info about wands and Houses was taken out of Pottermore Wiki.**

 **Thanks for reading.**


	2. 4th Years - Character sheets

**This is the 4** **th** **year's character sheet. Why fourth and not second like in canon? In canon, most of them new each other from Middle School and had already established relationships and "hierarchy", but in the HP Universe they wouldn't have the chance to do so, so I thought that widening the age gap was a good solution. So Sena & company will be 1** **st** **years, Hiruma & company will be 4** **th** **years, and Takami & company will be 6** **th** **years.**

 **I also realized that while the meaning of wands' wood and core is explained, I neglected to explain the meaning of length and flexibility. To amend that, I'll use a quote from Mr. Garrick Ollivander himself in which he gives a full explanation:**

" _ **Many wandmakers simply match the wand length to the size of the witch or wizard who will use it, but this is a crude measure, and fails to take into account many other, important considerations. In my experience, longer wands might suit taller wizards, but they tend to be drawn to bigger personalities, and those of a more spacious and dramatic style of magic. Neater wands favour more elegant and refined spell-casting. However, no single aspect of wand composition should be considered in isolation of all the others, and the type of wood, the core and the flexibility may either counterbalance or enhance the attributes of the wand's length.**_

 _ **Most wands will be in the range of between nine and fourteen inches. While I have sold extremely short wands (eight inches and under) and very long wands (over fifteen inches), these are exceptionally rare. In the latter case, a physical peculiarity demanded the excessive wand length. However, abnormally short wands usually select those in whose character something is lacking, rather than because they are physically undersized (many small witches and wizards are chosen by longer wands).**_

 _ **Wand flexibility or rigidity denotes the degree of adaptability and willingness to change possessed by the wand-and-owner pair - although, again, this factor ought not to be considered separately from the wand wood, core and length, nor of the owner's life experience and style of magic, all of which will combine to make the wand in question unique."**_

 **The quote, like the rest of explanations about woods and cores, has been taken from Pottermore Wiki.**

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 **Fourth Years:**

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 **GRYFFINDOR:**

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 **Seijuurou Shin**

Although ambitious, dedicated and hardworking when it comes to his Quidditch passion, his code of honour and chivalry out-weight any other trait, along with his stubbornness to continue doing what he loves. Although he is quite the traditionalist and disastrous with any muggle contraption, he is quite open-minded with anything that doesn't include Quidditch.

 **WAND:**

Cherry

"This very rare wand wood creates a wand of strange power, most highly prized by the wizarding students of the school of Mahoutokoro in Japan, where those who own cherry wands have special prestige. The Western wand-purchaser should dispel from their minds any notion that the pink blossom of the living tree makes for a frivolous or merely ornamental wand, for cherry wood often makes a wand that possesses truly lethal power, whatever the core, but if teamed with dragon heartstring, the wand ought never to be teamed with a wizard without exceptional self-control and strength of mind. "

Dragon Heartstring

This core is the most flamboyant of the three, and often produces the strongest wands. Dragon heartstring usually favours ambitious spell-casting and as a result the wand is more likely to turn to the Dark Arts than any other core; however, a wand that has this core will not do so of its own will. Dragon heartstring wands generally aren't sensitive to moving on from previous owners, but bond strongly with the current owner. This core produces wands that are most prone to accidents, being quite temperamental at times.

13 inches

Rigid

.

.

 **Koutarou Sasaki**

Not particularly intelligent or studious, so not a Ravenclaw. He wouldn't fit into Slytherin, as he's not cunning enough, and values friends and being true to oneself far more than ambition.

While kind and friendly, he's too headstrong and reckless to belong in Hufflepuff. There' s only one House he could call home: Gryffindor.

 **WAND:**

Spruce

" Unskilled wandmakers call spruce a difficult wood, but in doing so they reveal their own ineptitude. It is quite true that it requires particular deftness to work with spruce, which produces wands that are ill-matched with cautious or nervous natures, and become positively dangerous in fumbling fingers. The spruce wand requires a firm hand, because it often appears to have its own ideas about what magic it ought to be called upon to produce. However, when a spruce wand meets its match - which, in my experience, is a bold spell-caster with a good sense of humour - it becomes a superb helper, intensely loyal to their owners and capable of producing particularly flamboyant and dramatic effects. "

Unicorn Hair

While this core does not generally produce the strongest wands-although the wand wood may enhance its power-wands that have unicorn hair in them are the least flamboyant, decreasing its susceptibility to fluctuations and blockages. Advantages of this core are that it usually produces the most consistent magic, and that it is the most faithful to its owner of the three cores. A wand with a core of unicorn hair is harder to turn to the Dark Arts than dragon heartstring and phoenix feather, a factor that many witches and wizards like.

14 inches

Rigid

.

.

 **Juri "Julie" Sawai**

A mature, headstrong girl who probably would have done pretty well in any of the Houses, but asked to be in Gryffindor for fear of leaving her childhood friend Kotarou alone, as she knows he tends to be immature, reckless and overall problematic.

 **WAND:**

Hazel

" A sensitive wand, hazel often reflects its owner's emotional state, and works best for a master who understands and can manage their own feelings. Others should be very careful handling a hazel wand if its owner has recently lost their temper, or suffered a serious disappointment, because the wand will absorb such energy and discharge it unpredictably. The positive aspect of a hazel wand more than makes up for such minor discomforts, however, for it is capable of outstanding magic in the hands of the skillful, and is so devoted to its owner that it often 'wilts' (which is to say, it expels all its magic and refuses to perform, often necessitating the extraction of the core and its insertion into another casing, if the wand is still required) at the end of its master's life (if the core is unicorn hair, however, there is no hope; the wand will almost certainly have 'died'). Hazel wands also have the unique ability to detect water underground, and will emit silvery, tear-shaped puffs of smoke if passing over concealed springs and wells. "

Unicorn Hair

While this core does not generally produce the strongest wands-although the wand wood may enhance its power-wands that have unicorn hair in them are the least flamboyant, decreasing its susceptibility to fluctuations and blockages. Advantages of this core are that it usually produces the most consistent magic, and that it is the most faithful to its owner of the three cores. A wand with a core of unicorn hair is harder to turn to the Dark Arts than dragon heartstring and phoenix feather, a factor that many witches and wizards like.

12 inches

Quite rigid

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 **HUFFLEPUFF:**

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 **Ryoukan Kurita**

He's not intelligent nor studious, much less cunning. So he's not fit for Ravenclaw or Slytherin.

While he would do anything for a friend, he's not particularly brave nor confrontational, so Gryffindor too is out of the question.

On the other hand, he is kind (maybe overly so) and has a golden heart. He is loyal to a fault, but not only to his friends, although they hold the biggest part of his loyalty.

" _Hufflepuffs are defined by their love of family, comfort, and living things first and foremost. Anything involving animals or plants is going to appeal to them: Care of Magical Creatures and Herbology are subjects beloved by Hufflepuffs. They also care deeply for people and enjoy the company of others; being alone or feeling unloved are things Puffs dislike intensely. Ultimately, Hufflepuffs are interested in helping both people and animals, but are much less confrontational or daring than Gryffindors. They're the least likely to care about individual achievement or House points, and most likely to focus on their relationships to others rather than things they personally have done."_

He firmly believes that the absence of talent can be surpassed by hard work and with the help of friends.

 **WAND:**

Rowan

" Rowan wood has always been much-favoured for wands, because it is reputed to be more protective than any other, and in my experience renders all manner of defensive charms especially strong and difficult to break. It is commonly stated that no Dark witch or wizard ever owned a rowan wand, and I cannot recall a single instance where one of my own rowan wands has gone on to do evil in the world. Rowan is most happily placed with the clear-headed and the pure-hearted, but this reputation for virtue ought not to fool anyone - these wands are the equal of any, often the better, and frequently out-perform others in duels. "

Unicorn Hair

While this core does not generally produce the strongest wands-although the wand wood may enhance its power-wands that have unicorn hair in them are the least flamboyant, decreasing its susceptibility to fluctuations and blockages. Advantages of this core are that it usually produces the most consistent magic, and that it is the most faithful to its owner of the three cores. A wand with a core of unicorn hair is harder to turn to the Dark Arts than dragon heartstring and phoenix feather, a factor that many witches and wizards like.

12 inches

Quite flexible

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.

 **Unsui Kongou**

Although his academic marks are above average, this is more due to hard work and studying a lot than to above average intellect.

After a lifetime with his brother, his patience and loyalty for him have overdeveloped, but there was a point where he wanted to step out of his brother's shadow and start anew in a another House and a new family, and although that takes bravery, his maturity wouldn't let him be reckless (for the sake of his twin brother).

 **WAND:**

Beech

"The true match for a beech wand will be, if young, wise beyond his or her years, and if full-grown, rich in understanding and experience. Beech wands perform very weakly for the narrow-minded and intolerant. Such wizards and witches, having obtained a beech wand without having been suitably matched (yet coveting this most desirable, richly hued and highly prized wand wood), have often presented themselves at the homes of learned wandmakers such as myself, demanding to know the reason for their handsome wand's lack of power. When properly matched, the beech wand is capable of a subtlety and artistry rarely seen in any other wood, hence its lustrous reputation."

Unicorn Hair

While this core does not generally produce the strongest wands-although the wand wood may enhance its power-wands that have unicorn hair in them are the least flamboyant, decreasing its susceptibility to fluctuations and blockages. Advantages of this core are that it usually produces the most consistent magic, and that it is the most faithful to its owner of the three cores. A wand with a core of unicorn hair is harder to turn to the Dark Arts than dragon heartstring and phoenix feather, a factor that many witches and wizards like.

11 ½ inches

Reasonably flexible

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 **Gen "Musashi"Takekura**

While perceptive and insightful, his intelligence is average and he doesn't have a great ambition outside his family business (which consists on helping his father in all he can).

Although brave, he is by no means reckless. He is level-headed and mature beyond his years (both mentally and physically). He is very loyal to those he thinks deserve it, and inside his rough exterior lays a golden heart. Above all, he believes hard work is what moves the world, and doesn't take too kindly to slackers.

 **WAND:**

Pear

"This golden-toned wood produces wands of splendid magical powers, which give of their best in the hands of the warm-hearted, the generous and the wise. Possessors of pear wands are, in my experience, usually popular and well-respected. I do not know of a single instance where a pear wand has been discovered in the possession of a Dark witch or wizard. Pear wands are among the most resilient, and I have often observed that they may still present a remarkable appearance of newness, even after many years of hard use. "

Dragon Heartstring

This core is the most flamboyant of the three, and often produces the strongest wands. Dragon heartstring usually favours ambitious spell-casting and as a result the wand is more likely to turn to the Dark Arts than any other core; however, a wand that has this core will not do so of its own will. Dragon heartstring wands generally aren't sensitive to moving on from previous owners, but bond strongly with the current owner. This core produces wands that are most prone to accidents, being quite temperamental at times.

11 ½ inches

Not particularly flexible

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 **Shien "Kid" Mushanokouji**

He has the intelligence and perspicacity to be a Ravenclaw, because he lacks the ambition to be a Slytherin, but pleaded to be in the least conspicuous of all the Houses. This is because he wanted to escape from his past, being the perfect son of a famous pureblood duelist, and wanted a fresh start where he could relax and be his passive self without attracting attention. Also, he has come to love the comfort only a family can give, only in Hufflepuff.

(Unfortunately for him, his generation seems keen on ignoring the centuries-long House rivalries, and a certain keen-eyed Slytherin who spends too much time with Hufflepuffs is too near not to discover his secrets.)

 **WAND:**

Hawthorn

"The wandmaker Gregorovitch wrote that hawthorn 'makes a strange, contradictory wand, as full of paradoxes as the tree that gave it birth, whose leaves and blossoms heal, and yet whose cut branches smell of death.' While I disagree with many of Gregorovitch's conclusions, we concur about hawthorn wands, which are complex and intriguing in their natures, just like the owners who best suit them. Hawthorn wands may be particularly suited to healing magic, but they are also adept at curses, and I have generally observed that the hawthorn wand seems most at home with a conflicted nature, or with a witch or wizard passing through a period of turmoil. Hawthorn is not easy to master, however, and I would only ever consider placing a hawthorn wand in the hands of a witch or wizard of proven talent, or the consequences might be dangerous. Hawthorn wands have a notable peculiarity: their spells can, when badly handled, backfire."

Unicorn Hair

While this core does not generally produce the strongest wands-although the wand wood may enhance its power-wands that have unicorn hair in them are the least flamboyant, decreasing its susceptibility to fluctuations and blockages. Advantages of this core are that it usually produces the most consistent magic, and that it is the most faithful to its owner of the three cores. A wand with a core of unicorn hair is harder to turn to the Dark Arts than dragon heartstring and phoenix feather, a factor that many witches and wizards like.

11 inches

Flexible

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 **Jou Tetsuma**

Although brave and chivalrous, he isn't too independent-minded, at least on the outside, and almost always follows what he's told. He's hardworking, patient and loyal, the last especially shown when it comes to Kid. They've been friends since they were little kids, and he's the only student in Hogwarts who knows his real identity, for the time being.

Although he is quite goal minded, much like Shin, he'll always put his friends before his ambitions.

 **WAND:**

Cedar

" Whenever I meet one who carries a cedar wand, I find strength of character and unusual loyalty. My father, Gervaise Ollivander, used always to say, 'you will never fool the cedar carrier,' and I agree: the cedar wand finds its perfect home where there is perspicacity and perception. I would go further than my father, however, in saying that I have never yet met the owner of a cedar wand whom I would care to cross, especially if harm is done to those of whom they are fond. The witch or wizard who is well-matched with cedar carries the potential to be a frightening adversary, which often comes as a shock to those who have thoughtlessly challenged them. "

Unicorn Hair

While this core does not generally produce the strongest wands-although the wand wood may enhance its power-wands that have unicorn hair in them are the least flamboyant, decreasing its susceptibility to fluctuations and blockages. Advantages of this core are that it usually produces the most consistent magic, and that it is the most faithful to its owner of the three cores. A wand with a core of unicorn hair is harder to turn to the Dark Arts than dragon heartstring and phoenix feather, a factor that many witches and wizards like.

11 inches

Quite rigid

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.

 **Tetsuo Ishimaru**

Despite being overlooked most of the time, this boy doesn't have big aspirations of being famous and known by all. He is a kind, patient, hardworking student whose aim in life is working at the best of his capacity in something he'd like. He wouldn't fit in Slytherin, he is too honest and forward, not sly or cunning at all. While he isn't a bad student, his intelligence is average and he doesn't thirst for knowledge, so not Ravenclaw either. Gryffindor wouldn't be for him either, because even if he is chivalrous and honourable, he isn't reckless or daring and always puts other people's interest and needs before his. He would feel at home in Hufflepuff though, so the the Hat Sorted him there with little hesitation.

 **WAND**

Acacia

" A very unusual wand wood, which I have found creates tricky wands that often refuse to produce magic for any but their owner, and also withhold their best effects from all but those most gifted. This sensitivity renders them difficult to place, and I keep only a small stock for those witches or wizards of sufficient subtlety, for acacia is not suited to what is commonly known as 'bangs-and-smells' magic. When well-matched, an acacia wand matches any for power, though it is often underrated due to the peculiarity of its temperament. "

Unicorn Hair

While this core does not generally produce the strongest wands-although the wand wood may enhance its power-wands that have unicorn hair in them are the least flamboyant, decreasing its susceptibility to fluctuations and blockages. Advantages of this core are that it usually produces the most consistent magic, and that it is the most faithful to its owner of the three cores. A wand with a core of unicorn hair is harder to turn to the Dark Arts than dragon heartstring and phoenix feather, a factor that many witches and wizards like.

11 inches

Reasonably flexible

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 **SLYTHERIN:**

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 **Youichi Hiruma**

He has a great mind, and would be a smashing Ravenclaw, but while curious, he doesn't thirst for knowledge or power, although he admits they are very useful. He is only interested in practical knowledge, which is why he dislikes classes like History of Magic, Astronomy and Divination.

He is only loyal to those he deems worthy (which are few, as he is a very cautious boy and doesn't open up unless that person insists a lot, like Kurita did). He doesn't believe in spreading love and helping everyone in his path, like most Hufflepuffs, because he thinks it's up to each of us to stand for ourselves.

He is brave and daring, by no means a peacekeeper and without fear to stand out or be associated with negative things in the pursuit of his goals, and his desire for fame and acknowledgement is strong. On the other hand, he is not reckless and all his actions are carefully calculated, even when they do seem crazy and reckless. And above all, he's nothing like chivalrous or noble, on the contrary, he thinks it's something stupid to be and sees it as a weakness to exploit in others.

" _It's better to be powerful in life than renowned in death, because you can reap the benefits while alive. They tend to have the most diverse problems: snakes are cold-blooded, so cold bothers them, but in a more general sense the worst thing that can happen to them is being ignored. After all, you can't be great if no one is willing to pay attention to you! Boredom is also a large issue for them; they don't get lost as easily in their heads as Ravenclaws do, and they're only interested in learning for the sake of applied knowledge. If it's not useful, Slytherins don't want to know it_ ", which describes him perfectly. Especially the boredom issue, and the cold: he can't stand the cold.

 **Wand:**

Walnut

" Highly intelligent witches and wizards ought to be offered a walnut wand for trial first, because in nine cases out of ten, the two will find in each other their ideal mate. Walnut wands are often found in the hands of magical innovators and inventors; this is a handsome wood possessed of unusual versatility and adaptability. A note of caution, however: while some woods are difficult to dominate, and may resist the performance of spells that are foreign to their natures, the walnut wand will, once subjugated, perform any task its owner desires, provided that the user is of sufficient brilliance. This makes for a truly lethal weapon in the hands of a witch or wizard of no conscience, for the wand and the wizard may feed from each other in a particularly unhealthy manner. "

Phoenix

"This is the rarest core type. Phoenix feathers are capable of the greatest range of magic, though they may take longer than either unicorn or dragon cores to reveal this. They show the most initiative, sometimes acting of their own accord, a quality that many witches and wizards dislike. Phoenix feather wands are always the pickiest when it comes to potential owners, for the creature from which they are taken is one of the most independent and detached in the world. These wands are the hardest to tame and to personalise, and their allegiance is usually hard won."

12 ½ inches

Reasonably flexible

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 **Agon Kongou**

Definitely not kind nor patient, much less hardworking. Although intelligent, not the academic type, and not a follower of the rules.

He could be brave, but he has never encountered a situation that required it, as he is always at the top and in control of the situation.

He is cunning and self-centered, and although he has no real ambition, he is sly and forceful when achieving what he wants.

 **WAND:**

Yew

" Yew wands are among the rarer kinds, and their ideal matches are likewise unusual, and occasionally notorious. The wand of yew is reputed to endow its possessor with the power of life and death, which might, of course, be said of all wands; and yet yew retains a particularly dark and fearsome reputation in the spheres of duelling and all curses. However, it is untrue to say (as those unlearned in wandlore often do) that those who use yew wands are more likely to be attracted to the Dark Arts than another. The witch or wizard best suited to a yew wand might equally prove a fierce protector of others. Wands hewn from these most long-lived trees have been found in the possession of heroes quite as often as of villains. Where wizards have been buried with wands of yew, the wand generally sprouts into a tree guarding the dead owner's grave. What is certain, in my experience, is that the yew wand never chooses either a mediocre or a timid owner. "

Dragon Heartstring

This core is the most flamboyant of the three, and often produces the strongest wands. Dragon heartstring usually favours ambitious spell-casting and as a result the wand is more likely to turn to the Dark Arts than any other core; however, a wand that has this core will not do so of its own will. Dragon heartstring wands generally aren't sensitive to moving on from previous owners, but bond strongly with the current owner. This core produces wands that are most prone to accidents, being quite temperamental at times.

14 inches

Rigid

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 **Ikkyuu Hosokawa**

While not particularly brave nor intelligent, he is kind and helpful. That is, until you interfere with his ambitions. He plans on becoming the youngest Keeper to ever set foot in the Quidditch World Cup, and he becomes incredibly temperamental and competitive with those who question or underestimate either the sport or his talent for it.

 **WAND:**

Hornbeam

" My own wand is made of hornbeam, and so it is with all due modesty that I state that hornbeam selects for its life mate the talented witch or wizard with a single, pure passion, which some might call obsession (though I prefer the term 'vision'), which will almost always be realised. Hornbeam wands adapt more quickly than almost any other to their owner's style of magic, and will become so personalised, so quickly, that other people will find them extremely difficult to use even for the most simple of spells. Hornbeam wands likewise absorb their owner's code of honour, whatever that might be, and will refuse to perform acts - whether for good or ill - that do not tally with their master's principles. A particularly fine-tuned and sentient wand. "

Dragon Heartstring

This core is the most flamboyant of the three, and often produces the strongest wands. Dragon heartstring usually favours ambitious spell-casting and as a result the wand is more likely to turn to the Dark Arts than any other core; however, a wand that has this core will not do so of its own will. Dragon heartstring wands generally aren't sensitive to moving on from previous owners, but bond strongly with the current owner. This core produces wands that are most prone to accidents, being quite temperamental at time.

13 ½ inches

Rigid

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.

 **Rui Habashira**

He is daring and can become reckless when angry, but doesn't have the nerve to be a Gryff.

He is dedicated and hardworking, but doesn't have the patience to be kind enough to be a Puff.

Although more intelligent than he usually shows, he isn't interested in academics or the quest for knowledge. The son of a traditionalist ministry officer, he had lived his whole life blindly following strict rules, until (at the age of 9) he decided to become a gang boss to control and motivate the punks with whom he played Quidditch with.

 **WAND:**

Hornbeam

"My own wand is made of hornbeam, and so it is with all due modesty that I state that hornbeam selects for its life mate the talented witch or wizard with a single, pure passion, which some might call obsession (though I prefer the term 'vision'), which will almost always be realised. Hornbeam wands adapt more quickly than almost any other to their owner's style of magic, and will become so personalised, so quickly, that other people will find them extremely difficult to use even for the most simple of spells. Hornbeam wands likewise absorb their owner's code of honour, whatever that might be, and will refuse to perform acts - whether for good or ill - that do not tally with their master's principles. A particularly fine-tuned and sentient wand."

Dragon Heartstring

"This core is the most flamboyant of the three, and often produces the strongest wands. Dragon heartstring usually favours ambitious spell-casting and as a result the wand is more likely to turn to the Dark Arts than any other core; however, a wand that has this core will not do so of its own will. Dragon heartstring wands generally aren't sensitive to moving on from previous owners, but bond strongly with the current owner. This core produces wands that are most prone to accidents, being quite temperamental at times."

11 3/4 inches

Reasonably rigid

.

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 **Megu Tsuyumine**

Smart, ambitious and determined. Headstrong, brave and nonconformist. She could have either been a Slytherin or a Gryffindor, but when asked what she wanted, she choose the former, because she had been told it would help her develop her leadership abilities and cunning, both of which she thinks are important for her possible future careers. The fact that her childhood friend ended in the same House is an added bonus.

 **WAND:**

Fir

" My august grandfather, Gerbold Octavius Ollivander, always called wands of this wood 'the survivor's wand,' because he had sold it to three wizards who subsequently passed through mortal peril unscathed. There is no doubt that this wood, coming as it does from the most resilient of trees, produces wands that demand staying power and strength of purpose in their true owners, and that they are poor tools in the hands of the changeable and indecisive. Fir wands are particularly suited to Transfiguration, and favour owners of focused, strong-minded and, occasionally, intimidating demeanour. "

Dragon Heartstring

"This core is the most flamboyant of the three, and often produces the strongest wands. Dragon heartstring usually favours ambitious spell-casting and as a result the wand is more likely to turn to the Dark Arts than any other core; however, a wand that has this core will not do so of its own will. Dragon heartstring wands generally aren't sensitive to moving on from previous owners, but bond strongly with the current owner. This core produces wands that are most prone to accidents, being quite temperamental at times."

12 inches

Rigid

.

.

 **Hayato Akaba**

Although chivalrous and daring enough to be a Gryffindor, and patient and hardworking enough to be a Hufflepuff, he's missing the something to truly belong in those Houses.

He shares some traits with the Ravenclaws, like creativity and originality, especially in style and music, but he isn't studious or danger-averse enough. His ambition, resourcefulness and determination would make him a good Slytherin, but he may be too kind for that House. At the difficult decision, the Hat asked him which House he'd prefer. He answered Slytherin, because out of all the Houses it was the one with the worst rhythm, and he wanted to amend that.

 **WAND:**

Aspen

" Wand-quality aspen wood is white and fine-grained, and highly prized by all wand-makers for its stylish resemblance to ivory and its usually outstanding charmwork. The proper owner of the aspen wand is often an accomplished duellist, or destined to be so, for the aspen wand is one of those particularly suited to martial magic. An infamous and secretive eighteenth-century duelling club, which called itself The Silver Spears, was reputed to admit only those who owned aspen wands. In my experience, aspen wand owners are generally strong-minded and determined, more likely than most to be attracted by quests and new orders; this is a wand for revolutionaries. "

Dragon Heartstring

This core is the most flamboyant of the three, and often produces the strongest wands. Dragon heartstring usually favours ambitious spell-casting and as a result the wand is more likely to turn to the Dark Arts than any other core; however, a wand that has this core will not do so of its own will. Dragon heartstring wands generally aren't sensitive to moving on from previous owners, but bond strongly with the current owner. This core produces wands that are most prone to accidents, being quite temperamental at times.

14 inches

Reasonably flexible

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.

 **RAVENCLAW**

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 **Mamori Anezaki**

While kind and tolerant, she has an ambition greater than those in Hufflepuff, but unlike Slytherin, she doesn't make it the sole purpose of her life. She values friendship and relationships a lot, but her main point is her intelligence. Although she's ready to help anyone who wants to learn, she hasn't got the patience for those who don't want her help and she can be a little narrow-minded and stubborn in all those aspects of life separated from the academics and knowledge. Even though she would do anything for her friends, she values rules and laws too much to be called daring or reckless.

 **WAND:**

Alder

"Alder is an unyielding wood, yet I have discovered that its ideal owner is not stubborn or obstinate, but often helpful, considerate and most likeable. Whereas most wand woods seek similarity in the characters of those they will best serve, alder is unusual in that it seems to desire a nature that is, if not precisely opposite to its own, then certainly of a markedly different type. When an alder wand is happily placed, it becomes a magnificent, loyal helpmate. Of all wand types, alder is best suited to non-verbal spell work, whence comes its reputation for being suitable only for the most advanced witches and wizards. "

Unicorn Hair

While this core does not generally produce the strongest wands-although the wand wood may enhance its power-wands that have unicorn hair in them are the least flamboyant, decreasing its susceptibility to fluctuations and blockages. Advantages of this core are that it usually produces the most consistent magic, and that it is the most faithful to its owner of the three cores. A wand with a core of unicorn hair is harder to turn to the Dark Arts than dragon heartstring and phoenix feather, a factor that many witches and wizards like.

12 inches

Reasonably rigid

.

.

 **Haruto Sakuraba**

He is one of the most difficult people the Sorting Hat ever had to Sort out.

He could have been a dormant Gryffindor, much like Longbottom, but he isn't as confrontational as required, and only shows his real bravery for his friends.

Therefore, the most obvious options were Puff and Claw. He is nice, patient and hardworking, but Hufflepuff wasn't the House for him. When he first came to Hogwarts, he was looking for recognition, to show the world he was something else besides a pretty face. He wouldn't have mixed well with Slytherin, though, where his insecurities and niceness would have been seen as a weakness. The only other House who would help him with individual success was Ravenclaw, which goes nicely with his curiosity and fondness for books, as well as his aversion to risks.

 **WAND:**

Willow

" Willow is an uncommon wand wood with healing power, and I have noted that the ideal owner for a willow wand often has some (usually unwarranted) insecurity, however well they may try and hide it. While many confident customers insist on trying a willow wand (attracted by their handsome appearance and well-founded reputation for enabling advanced, non-verbal magic) my willow wands have consistently selected those of greatest potential, rather than those who feel they have little to learn. It has always been a proverb in my family that he who has furthest to travel will go fastest with willow. "

Unicorn Hair

While this core does not generally produce the strongest wands-although the wand wood may enhance its power-wands that have unicorn hair in them are the least flamboyant, decreasing its susceptibility to fluctuations and blockages. Advantages of this core are that it usually produces the most consistent magic, and that it is the most faithful to its owner of the three cores. A wand with a core of unicorn hair is harder to turn to the Dark Arts than dragon heartstring and phoenix feather, a factor that many witches and wizards like.

11 1/2 inches

Reasonably flexible

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.

 **Koharu Wakana**

Not ambitious enough for Slytherin and not brave enough to be put in Gryffindor.

The only Houses into which she would have fit are Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw, because she's nice, patient, hardworking and studious.

When the Hat asked her opinion on the matter, she answered that she preferred Ravenclaw. The reason was that, as much as she loved her parents, she didn't want anything to do with their family shop, and had been told that Ravenclaw would help her get a good job in the future.

 **WAND:**

Poplar

" "If you seek integrity, search first among the poplars," was a great maxim of my grandfather, Gerbold Ollivander, and my own experience of poplar wands and their owners tallies exactly with his. Here is a wand to rely upon, of consistency, strength and uniform power, always happiest when working with a witch or wizard of clear moral vision. There is a tired old joke among lesser wandmakers that no poplar wand has ever chosen a politician, but here they show their lamentable ignorance: two of the Ministry's most accomplished Ministers for Magic, Eldritch Diggory and Evangeline Orpington, were the possessors of fine, Ollivander-made poplar wands. "

Unicorn Hair

While this core does not generally produce the strongest wands-although the wand wood may enhance its power-wands that have unicorn hair in them are the least flamboyant, decreasing its susceptibility to fluctuations and blockages. Advantages of this core are that it usually produces the most consistent magic, and that it is the most faithful to its owner of the three cores. A wand with a core of unicorn hair is harder to turn to the Dark Arts than dragon heartstring and phoenix feather, a factor that many witches and wizards like.

11 1/2 inches

Reasonably flexible

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.

 **Manabu Yukimitsu**

The only House he truly belongs in is Ravenclaw. Although he could have made a good Hufflepuff too, his mother's pressure for him to succeed in his studies was so strong it had become his own pathological need.

He isn't particularly brave or daring, and he's quite the follower of rules, although he could do anything for the sake of his friends. And although intelligent, he isn't cunning or ambitious enough to be a Slytherin.

Despite this, he truly does enjoy books and he's thirsty for knowledge. He feels that with the right education and effort he could be really helpful for society, either as a healer or in a position in the Ministry of Magic.

 **WAND:**

Walnut

" Highly intelligent witches and wizards ought to be offered a walnut wand for trial first, because in nine cases out of ten, the two will find in each other their ideal mate. Walnut wands are often found in the hands of magical innovators and inventors; this is a handsome wood possessed of unusual versatility and adaptability. A note of caution, however: while some woods are difficult to dominate, and may resist the performance of spells that are foreign to their natures, the walnut wand will, once subjugated, perform any task its owner desires, provided that the user is of sufficient brilliance. This makes for a truly lethal weapon in the hands of a witch or wizard of no conscience, for the wand and the wizard may feed from each other in a particularly unhealthy manner. "

Unicorn Hair

While this core does not generally produce the strongest wands-although the wand wood may enhance its power-wands that have unicorn hair in them are the least flamboyant, decreasing its susceptibility to fluctuations and blockages. Advantages of this core are that it usually produces the most consistent magic, and that it is the most faithful to its owner of the three cores. A wand with a core of unicorn hair is harder to turn to the Dark Arts than dragon heartstring and phoenix feather, a factor that many witches and wizards like.

Length: 11 ½ inches

Flexible

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.

 **Thanks for reading. Hope you enjoyed it.**


	3. 6th Years- Character sheets

**This will be the last character sheet. In the next chapter the actual story will begin. Please enjoy.**

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 **Sixth Years:**

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 **GRYFFINDOR:**

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 _ **Gondayuu Yamabushi**_

He isn't particularly intelligent or studious, although he does keep his marks at a reasonable level, so he wouldn't fit in Ravenclaw. He is determined and resourceful, but he isn't cunning nor sly, so not Slytherin either.

He is quite kind and mindful of other people's feelings, and he's definitely hardworking, but he is too ambitious and daring to be a Hufflepuff. He is courageous, honourable and chivalrous though, so he would fit quite nicely in Gryffindor.

 **WAND:**

Poplar

" "If you seek integrity, search first among the poplars," was a great maxim of my grandfather, Gerbold Ollivander, and my own experience of poplar wands and their owners tallies exactly with his. Here is a wand to rely upon, of consistency, strength and uniform power, always happiest when working with a witch or wizard of clear moral vision. There is a tired old joke among lesser wandmakers that no poplar wand has ever chosen a politician, but here they show their lamentable ignorance: two of the Ministry's most accomplished Ministers for Magic, Eldritch Diggory and Evangeline Orpington, were the possessors of fine, Ollivander-made poplar wands. "

Dragon Heartstring

This core is the most flamboyant of the three, and often produces the strongest wands. Dragon heartstring usually favours ambitious spell-casting and as a result the wand is more likely to turn to the Dark Arts than any other core; however, a wand that has this core will not do so of its own will. Dragon heartstring wands generally aren't sensitive to moving on from previous owners, but bond strongly with the current owner. This core produces wands that are most prone to accidents, being quite temperamental at times.

11 ¾ inches

Rigid

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 _ **Makoto Ootawara**_

With a below average intelligence and no studious nature at all, he'd definitely not fit in Ravenclaw . He is kind and means no harm to anyone, but usually he's too blunt with his words without taking anyone into consideration and he is quite impatient, so not Hufflepuff either. He'd like to be a duellist, but aside from that he doesn't have a very strong ambition, and he isn't cunning or especially resourceful either. But he is courageous, reckless and honourable, so he would feel at home in Gryffindor.

 **WAND:**

Cypress

" Cypress wands are associated with nobility. The great medieval wandmaker, Geraint Ollivander, wrote that he was always honoured to match a cypress wand, for he knew he was meeting a witch or wizard who would die a heroic death. Fortunately, in these less blood-thirsty times, the possessors of cypress wands are rarely called upon to lay down their lives, though doubtless many of them would do so if required. Wands of cypress find their soul mates among the brave, the bold and the self-sacrificing: those who are unafraid to confront the shadows in their own and others' natures. "

Dragon Heartstring

This core is the most flamboyant of the three, and often produces the strongest wands. Dragon heartstring usually favours ambitious spell-casting and as a result the wand is more likely to turn to the Dark Arts than any other core; however, a wand that has this core will not do so of its own will. Dragon heartstring wands generally aren't sensitive to moving on from previous owners, but bond strongly with the current owner. This core produces wands that are most prone to accidents, being quite temperamental at times.

12 ½ inches

Reasonably rigid

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.

 _ **Maruko "Maria" Himuro**_

She's a serious girl who doesn't tolerate anybody's bullshit. She's smart and wise, but she doesn't crave for knowledge like most Ravenclaws do. Although bold, she is kind and usually takes people's feelings and wellbeing into account. She's also hardworking and tolerant, but she isn't as danger-averse and pacific as most Hufflepuffs. She's direct and bold, and doesn't like to leave things hanging or being subtle, so she wouldn't fit well in Slytherin. She is brave, courageous and chivalrous, though, and she'd feel quite at home in the Gryffindor House.

 **WAND:**

Ash

" The ash wand cleaves to its one true master and ought not to be passed on or gifted from the original owner, because it will lose power and skill. This tendency is extreme if the core is of unicorn. Old superstitions regarding wands rarely bear close examination, but I find that the old rhyme regarding rowan, chestnut, ash and hazel wands (rowan gossips, chestnut drones, ash is stubborn, hazel moans) contains a small nugget of truth. Those witches and wizards best suited to ash wands are not, in my experience, lightly swayed from their beliefs or purposes. However, the brash or over-confident witch or wizard, who often insists on trying wands of this prestigious wood, will be disappointed by its effects. The ideal owner may be stubborn, and will certainly be courageous, but never crass or arrogant. "

Unicorn Hair

While this core does not generally produce the strongest wands-although the wand wood may enhance its power-wands that have unicorn hair in them are the least flamboyant, decreasing its susceptibility to fluctuations and blockages. Advantages of this core are that it usually produces the most consistent magic, and that it is the most faithful to its owner of the three cores. A wand with a core of unicorn hair is harder to turn to the Dark Arts than dragon heartstring and phoenix feather, a factor that many witches and wizards like

12 ½ inches

Reasonably flexible

.

.

 **SLYTHERIN:**

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 _ **Reisuke "Achilles" Aki**_

Brash and impetuous boy that could have entered either Gryffindor or Slytherin. He isn't studious or creative enough to be a Ravenclaw, nor intelligent, and he is too headstrong and impetuous to be a Hufflepuff even though he does have a soft spot beneath the rough exterior. He is daring and reckless, as well as ambitious and determined. The Hat let him choose, and thinking the Snake House would help him achieve his ambitions to be a tamer of dangerous beasts, he became the most forward and honest Slytherin in years.

 **WAND:**

Holly

" Holly is one of the rarer kinds of wand woods; traditionally considered protective, it works most happily for those who may need help overcoming a tendency to anger and impetuosity. At the same time, holly wands often choose owners who are engaged in some dangerous and often spiritual quest. Holly is one of those woods that varies most dramatically in performance depending on the wand core, and it is a notoriously difficult wood to team with phoenix feather, as the wood's volatility conflicts strangely with the phoenix's detachment. In the unusual event of such a pairing finding its ideal match, however, nothing and nobody should stand in their way. "

Dragon Heartstring

This core is the most flamboyant of the three, and often produces the strongest wands. Dragon heartstring usually favours ambitious spell-casting and as a result the wand is more likely to turn to the Dark Arts than any other core; however, a wand that has this core will not do so of its own will. Dragon heartstring wands generally aren't sensitive to moving on from previous owners, but bond strongly with the current owner. This core produces wands that are most prone to accidents, being quite temperamental at times.

12 ¾ inches

Rigid

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.

 _ **Kureji "Heracles" Hera**_

He isn't fit for Gryffindor, because although courageous and sometimes chivalrous, he isn't reckless by any means. Not Hufflepuff either, for even if he is dedicated and tolerant, and he isn't afraid of working hard if he needs to, he isn't usually concerned with other people's feelings. What's more, he usually enjoys making fun of them, even if he usually doesn't mean it as a too serious offense. While he is quite witty and smart, and his marks are nothing to sniff at, he isn't really thirsty for knowledge, nor creative or original.

He'd feel at home in Slytherin, though. He is quite ambitious, cunning when he wants to be, resourceful, determined and he also takes great pride in his accomplishments.

 **WAND:**

Red Oak

" You will often hear the ignorant say that red oak is an infallible sign of its owner's hot temper. In fact, the true match for a red oak wand is possessed of unusually fast reactions, making it a perfect duelling wand. Less common than English oak, I have found that its ideal master is light of touch, quick-witted and adaptable, often the creator of distinctive, trademark spells, and a good man or woman to have beside one in a fight. Red oak wands are, in my opinion, among the most handsome. "

Unicorn Hair

While this core does not generally produce the strongest wands-although the wand wood may enhance its power-wands that have unicorn hair in them are the least flamboyant, decreasing its susceptibility to fluctuations and blockages. Advantages of this core are that it usually produces the most consistent magic, and that it is the most faithful to its owner of the three cores. A wand with a core of unicorn hair is harder to turn to the Dark Arts than dragon heartstring and phoenix feather, a factor that many witches and wizards like

13 ¾ inches

Reasonably rigid

.

.

 _ **Mamoru Banba**_

While he is chivalrous and brave, he isn't reckless and always thinks things through first. He is wise and perceptive, and likes to keep his marks above average, but he isn't particularly intelligent or thirsty for knowledge. He is hardworking and loyal to those he respects, but he is too bold and ambitious. He may not be particularly cunning or sly, and may be atypical in the sense that he wouldn't compromise his honour in order to win, but he is determined, resourceful and good leader material.

He has a great potential and the Hat only took a couple of seconds to send him to the House that would help him cultivate that talent best.

 **WAND:**

Fir

" My august grandfather, Gerbold Octavius Ollivander, always called wands of this wood 'the survivor's wand,' because he had sold it to three wizards who subsequently passed through mortal peril unscathed. There is no doubt that this wood, coming as it does from the most resilient of trees, produces wands that demand staying power and strength of purpose in their true owners, and that they are poor tools in the hands of the changeable and indecisive. Fir wands are particularly suited to Transfiguration, and favour owners of focused, strong-minded and, occasionally, intimidating demeanour. "

Dragon Heartstring

This core is the most flamboyant of the three, and often produces the strongest wands. Dragon heartstring usually favours ambitious spell-casting and as a result the wand is more likely to turn to the Dark Arts than any other core; however, a wand that has this core will not do so of its own will. Dragon heartstring wands generally aren't sensitive to moving on from previous owners, but bond strongly with the current owner. This core produces wands that are most prone to accidents, being quite temperamental at times.

12 ½ inches

Reasonably rigid

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.

 _ **Harao Kiminari**_

Although honourable and chivalrous (especially with women), he isn't brave nor daring. He is quite studious, and not particularly stupid, but he doesn't thirst for knowledge. He does seem to have a calm aura about him when things are going his way, but as soon as something goes out of place, his true colours show. He is by no means patient, nor particularly kind, nor hardworking.

Being quite self-preservative, traditionalist and sly as he is, the upper-class Slytherins would welcome him with open arms.

 **WAND:**

Laurel

" It is said that a laurel wand cannot perform a dishonourable act, although in the quest for glory (a not uncommon goal for those best suited to these wands), I have known laurel wands perform powerful and sometimes lethal magic. Laurel wands are sometimes called fickle, but this is unfair. The laurel wand seems unable to tolerate laziness in a possessor, and it is in such conditions that it is most easily and willingly won away. Otherwise, it will cleave happily to its first match forever, and indeed has the unusual and engaging attribute of issuing a spontaneous lightning strike if another witch or wizard attempts to steal it. "

Unicorn Hair

While this core does not generally produce the strongest wands-although the wand wood may enhance its power-wands that have unicorn hair in them are the least flamboyant, decreasing its susceptibility to fluctuations and blockages. Advantages of this core are that it usually produces the most consistent magic, and that it is the most faithful to its owner of the three cores. A wand with a core of unicorn hair is harder to turn to the Dark Arts than dragon heartstring and phoenix feather, a factor that many witches and wizards like.

12 ¾ inches

Rigid

.

.

 **RAVENCLAW:**

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 **.**

 _ **Ichirou Takami**_

While honorable and chivalrous, he isn't by any means reckless or daring, and he more often than not respects rules, so he wouldn't fit in Gryffindor. Even though he is determined to reach his aims, he doesn't make them his sole purpose in life, so he wouldn't feel very at home at Slytherin, even if he is smart, cunning, and quite manipulative and sly when he wants to. He has all of the traits that define Hufflepuff: dedication, hard work, patience, tolerance, kindness. However, he is more ambitious than the average Hufflepuff, who is usually more laid back and in less of a hurry when it comes to life-goals and ambitions, so he wouldn't fit. And while he does share those traits, they do not define him. Ravenclaw's traits, however, do: intelligence, studiousness, thirst for knowledge, wit and wisdom. Ravenclaw is the House he would fit in best, and the one that will prepare him best for his future as a Healer.

 **WAND:**

Vine

" The druids considered anything with a woody stem as a tree, and vine makes wands of such a special nature that I have been happy to continue their ancient tradition. Vine wands are among the less common types, and I have been intrigued to notice that their owners are nearly always those witches or wizards who seek a greater purpose, who have a vision beyond the ordinary and who frequently astound those who think they know them best. Vine wands seem strongly attracted by personalities with hidden depths, and I have found them more sensitive than any other when it comes to instantly detecting a prospective match. Reliable sources claim that these wands can emit magical effects upon the mere entrance into their room of a suitable owner, and I have twice observed the phenomenon in my own shop.

Unicorn Hair

While this core does not generally produce the strongest wands-although the wand wood may enhance its power-wands that have unicorn hair in them are the least flamboyant, decreasing its susceptibility to fluctuations and blockages. Advantages of this core are that it usually produces the most consistent magic, and that it is the most faithful to its owner of the three cores. A wand with a core of unicorn hair is harder to turn to the Dark Arts than dragon heartstring and phoenix feather, a factor that many witches and wizards like

12 ¾ inches

Reasonably flexible

.

.

 _ **Onihei Yamamoto**_

While chivalrous and courageous, he isn't reckless enough to be a Gryffindor. He is nice and hardworking, but he isn't as conformist as most in that House. While quite smart, he isn't sly or ambitious enough to be a Slytherin.

He is quite smart and studious though, and he likes to base assumptions and actions on facts, knowledge and previous experience. He is quite creative, in magic and otherwise, and is quite the rule follower. Ravenclaw would be the House he'd best fit in.

 **WAND:**

Silver Lime

" This unusual and highly attractive wand wood was greatly in vogue in the nineteenth century. Demand outstripped supply, and unscrupulous wandmakers dyed substandard woods in an effort to fool purchasers into believing that they had purchased silver lime. The reasons for these wands' desirability lay not only in their unusually handsome appearance, but also because they had a reputation for performing best for Seers and those skilled in Legilimency, mysterious arts both, which consequently gave the possessor of a silver lime wand considerable status. When demand was at its height, wandmaker Arturo Cephalopos claimed that the association between silver lime and clairvoyance was 'a falsehood circulated by merchants like Gerbold Ollivander (my own grandfather), who have overstocked their workshops with silver lime and hope to shift their surplus.' But Cephalopos was a slipshod wandmaker and an ignoramus, and nobody, Seer or not, was surprised when he went out of business. "

Unicorn Hair

While this core does not generally produce the strongest wands-although the wand wood may enhance its power-wands that have unicorn hair in them are the least flamboyant, decreasing its susceptibility to fluctuations and blockages. Advantages of this core are that it usually produces the most consistent magic, and that it is the most faithful to its owner of the three cores. A wand with a core of unicorn hair is harder to turn to the Dark Arts than dragon heartstring and phoenix feather, a factor that many witches and wizards like

12 inches

Reasonably rigid

.

.

 **HUFFLEPUFF:**

 **.**

 **.**

 _ **Osamu Kobanzame**_

Not particularly smart, courageous or intelligent, the only House he would really fit in is Hufflepuff. He is kind, tolerant and hardworking. He values friendship and hard work above all, so he would feel at home.

 **WAND:**

Hazel

" A sensitive wand, hazel often reflects its owner's emotional state, and works best for a master who understands and can manage their own feelings. Others should be very careful handling a hazel wand if its owner has recently lost their temper, or suffered a serious disappointment, because the wand will absorb such energy and discharge it unpredictably. The positive aspect of a hazel wand more than makes up for such minor discomforts, however, for it is capable of outstanding magic in the hands of the skillful, and is so devoted to its owner that it often 'wilts' (which is to say, it expels all its magic and refuses to perform, often necessitating the extraction of the core and its insertion into another casing, if the wand is still required) at the end of its master's life (if the core is unicorn hair, however, there is no hope; the wand will almost certainly have 'died'). Hazel wands also have the unique ability to detect water underground, and will emit silvery, tear-shaped puffs of smoke if passing over concealed springs and wells. "

Unicorn Hair

While this core does not generally produce the strongest wands-although the wand wood may enhance its power-wands that have unicorn hair in them are the least flamboyant, decreasing its susceptibility to fluctuations and blockages. Advantages of this core are that it usually produces the most consistent magic, and that it is the most faithful to its owner of the three cores. A wand with a core of unicorn hair is harder to turn to the Dark Arts than dragon heartstring and phoenix feather, a factor that many witches and wizards like

11 ¾ inches

Flexible

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.

 **Hope you enjoyed it. I'll try to update the first chapter of the actual story as soon as possible.**


	4. 1- Welcome to Hogwarts, fucking brats!

_**Chapter 1**_ **: WELCOME TO HOGWARTS, FUCKING BRATS!**

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It all felt like a dream. Everything was strange and wonderful and _magical._ From the train ride, to the unstable and unsafe boat ride across a lake with a _giant squid_ living in it- among other things as he was later told - to the great hall filled with black-robed students and floating candles and a starry sky for a ceiling. Then, they took out a talking hat that would decide their future House and classmates for the next seven years.

Some would call it exciting, magical. Some would call it a dream come true.

For Sena though, it was a nightmare. He was scared out of his mind. He could feel his legs trembling, even though his new friend was clumsily trying to reassure him and he could feel Mamori smiling at him from the Ravenclaw table. He offered her a wobbly smile back.

The soon-to-be students kept disappearing from his side, being constantly called by the deputy headmaster and sorted into their respective Houses. Even Riku had already been called and sorted into Gryffindor. He had never had many friends growing up, but he had never felt so lonely and abandoned as he did at this very moment, with everyone he knew leaving him alone with his anxiety and fear.

"C'mon, Sena, relax a bit. There's no need to be so nervous. You just have to go there and sit, nothing can go wrong," his newly-made friend, Monta, tried to reassure him. "And anyway, even if it did, you can't do worse than that guy that went spinning on one leg. Crazy, that one."

He let out a nervous chuckle, remembering that particular sorting, but it did little to calm his nerves. Every name called made his breath hitch and he watched with as much nervousness as the sorted kids themselves how the Hat cried out their House's name.

"RAVENCLAW!"

"...HUFFLEPUFF!"

"GRYFFINDOR!"

"HUFFLEPUFF!"

"…SLYTHERIN!"

When Monta's name was called, he audibly gasped. He looked at his new friend with trepidation and fear.

"Don't worry, Sena. Even if we don't end up in the same House, we'll still be friends, right?" Monta told him with a grin and a thumbs-up, before confidently walking up to the chair. When the Hat was placed in his head, it didn't even need two seconds to shout, "GRYFFINDOR!"

The House clapped enthusiastically, welcoming the new housemate with shouts and whistles and pats on the back. Monta sat with the other first years and looked back at him with a big grin.

Sena swallowed with difficulty as he tried to smile back. The tremble in his legs worsened. He didn't know whose idea it had been to have eleven-year-old newbies wait for the moment when the rest of their lives would be decided, but it was clear that the person who did hadn't been very sympathetic. He looked at the people beside him, fewer by the moment. For the first time, he noticed a blonde girl looking just as nervous as he felt. When he finally caught her eyes, he sent a little smile her way, trying to be reassuring and failing completely, but at least he got another smile in return, even if it was as small and wobbly as his.

"Kobayakawa, Sena!" called Professor Longbottom.

He actually jumped at the call, and froze for several moments before remembering that he had to _move_. With a rigid body and trembling legs, he climbed onto the chair, thankful that he had managed to get there without tripping. The professor offered him a sympathetic look before placing the Hat on his head.

It was strange and terrifying, hearing the Hat talking in his mind. It started listing Sena's strong points and weaknesses, his personality traits and how they'd go with each House. He didn't care which House he ended up in –except Slytherin, they looked scary. He didn't really, but it would be great to end up in the same House as his new friend and his long-lost childhood friend, although he knew he'd never end up in Gryffindor. The Hat actually _laughed_ at him at that, and with a last piece of advice about having more faith in himself, it shouted, "GRYFFINDOR!"

Sena just sat there for a moment, completely shell-shocked, while the red and golden table erupted in a new round of applause and cheering. Among the noise, he could still clearly hear Monta's shouting and Riku's laugh, and he let those familiar noises guide him to the table like an automaton. As soon as he was near, his new friend hooked an arm around his neck and pushed their heads together.

"Yeah, Sena! That's the way to go! Gryffindor MAX!" he shouted happily, pulling the small scaredy-cat boy into sitting down next to him.

Sena smiled, feeling relieved that the sorting was finally over. The rest of the Gryffindor first years congratulated him, some more politely than others, and Riku nodded at him. Sena's smile grew. He felt welcomed and at home.

He looked over to the chair and saw the blonde girl getting sorted into Ravenclaw. He caught her gaze again and smiled. She smiled back at him, more happily this time, and gave him a little wave, which he returned.

Finally, the sorting ended and the students settled into their respective seats. The loud clapping and cheering became a steady murmur and laughing noise, which the professors' table allowed to go on for several minutes. Suddenly, a loud tinkling noise was made by the headmistress tapping her spoon against her glass. The student body and the professors fell silent, watching her imposing figure as she rose from her seat. The headmistress, a stern-looking older lady, clasped her hands in front of herself and swept her gaze along the whole Great Hall, trying to include each and every one of the young wizards.

"Dear students, welcome to Hogwarts!" she exclaimed with a small but warm smile on her elderly face. "We welcome you with open arms no matter if it's your first year or your last, if you are pureblood or muggleborn. Hogwarts is home for all of us.

"Now, before we begin our feast, let us revise some of the rules of this school, so that the new ears can take note of them, and some of the veterans can finally stop ignoring them." She ended with a frown, for some reason letting her gaze linger on the Slytherin table.

She took a deep breath and motioned to the grumpy, filthy-looking man by the door. "Mr. Filch, the caretaker, has asked me to remind you - _again-_ \- that magic is not permitted in corridors between classes, nor are a number of other things, all of which can be checked on the extensive list now fastened to Mr. Filch's office door.

"The forest on the grounds is, as its name well states, _forbidden_. And you all would do well to remember and respect that," she added in a stern tone, sweeping her gaze along the tables before continuing. " Quidditch tryouts will take place three weeks from now and you are all welcome to participate if you wish to. First years will take flying lessons with Madam Hooch starting next week, but you'll later be notified of the exact location and date of such lessons.

"Now, I believe this speech has gone on for long enough, for this has been a long day for all of you and you must be tired and hungry. So let us begin the feast!"

When the headmistress finished her speech, everyone politely clapped, some more effusively than others. She made a gesture with her hands and with the exclamation of, "Enjoy your meal!" enormous plates filled to the brim with delicious-looking food began to appear on the tables.

The student body began chatting animatedly, old friends reuniting and new people meeting each other. No plate of food was left untouched either, for the long trip and the nervousness of the sorting had left the young witches and wizards hungrier than they had realized.

The Hall was soon visited by the ghosts, who gave more than one heart attack to muggleborns, Sena among them. But once the shock had passed, Nearly Headless Nick seemed a nice enough fellow, much nicer than other ghosts he could see floating around. The novelty of their arrival passed, and everyone returned to their dinner and conversations.

The Gryffindor table was possibly the loudest one, but strangely, the first year's side was the quietest at the entire table. The girls were talking among theselves, looking quite happy and excited, especially a chirpy petite girl with dark hair. The boys though... Sena looked around nervously.

Monta was slurping down food at an alarming pace, periodically elbowing him to do the same.

Riku was maintaining a polite conversation with a boy that had a perpetual, sparkling smile on his face, the kind supermodels or movie stars flashed to the camera.

In the furthest corner, two rough-looking boys were angrily whispering among themselves, while throwing furtive glances at the Slytherin table. Anyone who tried to start a conversation with them, or even came too close to them when helping themselves to the food, was sneered at.

And lastly… had he said Slytherin was scary? Forget about them. They couldn't be more intimidating and terrifying than the guy sitting in front of Riku. Sena wasn't even sure of his age, but he certainly looked older. He was tall, really tall for an eleven-year-old. And really wide too, developing muscle mass noticeable even from under the student robes. And the longish black hair and the abnormally fast pace with which he was devouring all the meat dishes on the table only added to his savage and dangerous appearance. If he looked like this now, he was going to be a monster once he grew up.

Suddenly, the gigantic first year raised his gaze from his plate and caught him staring. Sena yelped, terrified, and nervously backed away as much as he could without falling from his seat. Instead of instantly killing him by throwing laser rays from his eyes or some equally absurd theories Sena's fear-driven brain had had the time to imagine, the savage-looking boy just lowered his gaze again and continued eating as if nothing had happened. Sena let out a relieved sigh, but the trembling in his legs wouldn't go away for some minutes.

"Hey, what's wrong, Sena?"

He turned his head to the side to see Monta giving him a puzzled look, still with some food in his mouth and filling his fork with more.

"Uh… ah… n-nothing! Just… not so hungry, you know?" he answered lamely, with a wobbly smile in place.

Monta looked around and his eyes fell on the terrifying big guy.

"Woah, scary fella, right?" he commented, looking a bit put off, but he soon recovered as a thoughtful expression came to his monkey-like features. "Wonder if he plays Quidditch? Damn! There's more competition than I thought there would be!"

Sena finally calmed down at hearing his friend's comment and offered him a small smile. "Don't worry, Monta. I'm sure you'll do fine in the tryouts. Although I've heard it's very difficult to succeed as a first year… but it doesn't matter, we have seven years ahead of us if you want to…"

"I'm sorry to interrupt. I couldn't help but listen to your conversation." They both turned to look at the perpetually smiling boy. "You said you wanted to enter the Quidditch team this year. Well, as it happens, I do too. Seems like we'll be rivals before teammates, for the tryouts at least."

They both watched with some trepidation as the smile became more serene and a kind of intimidating determination showed on the boy's features.

"Well, I was thinking of doing so, too," said Riku, challenging smirk in place. "It will be an interesting tryout."

The tall boy was smirking in return, and was about to answer when a guttural voice in front of them beat him to it.

"Funny. That makes five of us," spoke the gigantic boy, flashing them a feral grin.

"Five?" Riku wondered aloud, frowning until it dawned on him. "Sena! Are you planning on joining the tryouts too?"

Suddenly, Sena found four pair of eyes looking at him, two of them too intimidating for his liking.

"Wh-what!? Of course not! It'd be impossible, Riku! I don't even know how to fly a broom!" he answered nervously, eyes moving back and forth without looking at anyone in particular.

The gigantic boy chuckled as he continued with his meal. "Pity", they heard him murmur.

The dark-haired boy that had been talking to Riku smiled down at Sena. "Well, you certainly don't lose anything, so why not try anyway? If you like Quidditch, that is," he finished as an afterthought, taking in Sena's expression.

"N-no, you see, I'm muggleborn. So even though I have some wizard friends, I don't really know that much about it…"

"Oh, well. It's a really interesting sport. We'll be sure to teach you." His smile right then was the kindest the boy had shown all day, Sena thought.

After that, the tension seemed to dissipate a bit, at least between the four of them, as they began commenting on professional Quidditch teams and matches, and discussing the differences it had with some muggle sports.

Time flew without them noticing, and before they were aware of it, prefects had begun collecting first years.

"First years! Please follow us!" shouted the Gryffindor prefects, a beefy blond boy and an energetic brunette girl, gesturing for them to get up and follow them out of the Great Hall.

Prefects from other Houses were doing a similar job, and soon all eight marched from the Great Hall, followed by a more or less organized line of excited first years. The rest of the students hung back for a bit more, finishing their meal without hurry and some of them talking with people of other Houses.

Now, Sena might not be from a wizard family and he might not know a lot about the school, but he remembered Mamori explaining that Gryffindor and Ravenclaw's dorms were in towers, Slytherin's was in the dungeons and Hufflepuff's was near the kitchens. And no matter to which one of those you were heading, if your starting point was the Great Hall, you had to pass through the hall at the bottom of the moving staircases.

And just as the prefects were guiding their groups to said hall, some began to hesitate.

"What's the matter?" Sena overheard a Slytherin prefect ask her partner.

"Don't you remember last year? When the prefects and newbies got ambushed on their way to the common room? You think _he_ will do it again this year?" her partner whispered back, making her tense and stop walking altogether.

The other prefects too had begun whispering hurriedly with their partners, and soon the first years started to murmur.

"What's wrong?"

"What do they mean 'they're gonna ambush us'!?"

"Maybe it'll be that poltergeist, Peeves? My brother told me about him."

The whispers and murmurs were soon interrupted by several banging noises and smoke filling the hall. The students shouted in shock and Sena heard the Gryffindor prefect boy whisper, "Oh no…", before an incorporeal loud voice was heard.

"YAAAAAAAAAAA~ HAAAAAAAAA~!" The shout reverberated all around the hall, accompanied by more explosions of light and smoke. The first years began yelling and shouting, until someone pointed at the shadowy figure standing on the balustrade of the stairs. "WELCOME TO HOGWARTS, FUCKING BRATS!"

The smoke dissipated a bit, just enough to let them see the scary prankster's figure. He was lanky, with bright blond, spiky hair, and a terrifyingly sharp and malevolent grin on his face. He addressed them with a raspy yet booming voice, showing off all of his sharp fangs for a more spooky effect.

"I hope you enjoyed the meal, 'cause it could well be your last." He made a dramatic pause, watching them squirm under his gaze with unadulterated glee. "Hogwarts is a dangerous place, more than you can imagine. Make sure to keep an eye out for all of its dangers."

"HEY, YOU!" yelled the tall, sleek-haired Slytherin prefect. "WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU ARE DOING!? COME DOWN THIS INST-" He was swiftly silenced by a spell that made his tongue as large as a cow's. He started screaming inarticulately and then began moaning, his partner worriedly hovering by his side.

"I'm not finished, fucking gel-head," the extravagant boy commented in a light voice, before addressing the first years again. "You heard the headmistress, didn't you? The forest outside could have you killed as soon as you took three steps in. In the yard, there's a willow with a boxer complex that will attack anything that approaches it. There are vengeful spirits lurking inside the castle's walls, magic passages that could lock you in and never let you go, dark artifacts waiting for a young, naïve soul to touch them to be able to take over their mind. Hogwarts is certainly a fucking dangerous place."

Even as enraptured by the terrifying boy's speech as they were, it was impossible not to hear the bang of the Great Hall's door hurriedly closing itself and the sound of several thunderous footsteps coming their way.

"But don't forget, fucking brats, that the most dangerous thing in Hogwarts is _me_ , _"_ the boy finished with a dark tilt in his tone and a widening of his malevolent grin, giving him a much more terrifying and supernatural appearance. In that very instant, Sena had the ridiculous sensation that his penetrating eyes were staring directly at him, making him tremble uncontrollably.

Just as the speech was finished, they heard the unmistakable voice of the headmistress shouting, sounding nearer with each passing second. "Mr. Hiruma! I swear to Merlin that if you are terrorizing the first years again…!"

Suddenly, the dark oppressive atmosphere the menacing speech had brought dissipated, and the boy apparently called 'Hiruma' turned his malevolent grin into a funny smile.

"Well, that's my cue to leave," he said in a light, almost singsong voice, readying his wand and saluting them. "Oh! And don't forget to try out for Quidditch, fucking brats! Kekeke."

With that weirdly high-pitched and scary cackle, he flicked his wand towards his feet, disappearing in a big cloud of smoke just as the headmistress and some professors arrived.

"That bloody boy…!" muttered the elderly woman, pinching the bridge of her nose from above her glasses. She turned to them and spread her arms a bit, readying herself to speak.

"Please, calm down. Whatever he has told you, just remember that he is a student just like you. He may like theatrics, but he is absolutely harmless." She shared a sidelong glance with a tall, brooding, dark man at that, before addressing the prefects. "Please, Mr. Foster, Ms. Rosier, take your first years to the Ravenclaw tower. Mr. Stump, Ms. Hatake, take yours to the Hufflepuff rooms. Mr. Kirke, Ms. McKenzie, take yours to the Gryffindor tower. Ms. Torrington, Professor Flitwick will accompany you and Mr. Marwood to the infirmary, although I'm sure it's nothing serious."

While the diminutive professor helped the hexed student- Marwood- to the infirmary, his partner trailing behind, the rest of the prefects snapped to attention and began signalling for the first years to follow them. Before they left, Sena heard the headmistress speaking again.

"Your Head of House, Professor Snape, will accompany you to your common room and make the necessary explanations." Sena watched from the corner of his eye as the tall, gloomy man made the Slytherin students go in the opposite direction from the Gryffindors.

"Severus?" When the headmistress called his name, the Head of Slytherin paused walking for a moment and turned around to look at her.

"I'll make sure to have a word with him once the first years are settled," he spoke in a low, monotone voice.

The headmistress nodded and the Slytherins followed their path, but the Gryffindors rounded a corner so Sena was unable to watch anymore. There were some beats of silence before the petite girl from dinner chirped, "So what was that about, huh? Is that a normal occurrence? Who was the scary guy?"

When a barrage of questions followed hers, the prefects slowed down while nervously looking at each other.

"C'mon! Who was that fella!?" asked one of the rough-looking boys Sena had seen at dinner, the dark-haired one.

The male prefect, Kirke as it seemed, took a deep breath and turned to smile at them. "Well, you see, that was Peeves! The poltergeist that is so much trouble for the students!" Only his smile was falser than his words, and even Sena caught on to that.

"Don't lie to them," complained his partner, McKenzie, elbowing him in the ribs. "You know that Peeves never stirs up as much trouble as Hiruma does."

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Later that night, after meeting some older years in Gryffindor common room and listening to all the explanations of why their House was so much better than the others, Sena laid awake in his bed. He stared wide-eyed at the ceiling, nerves churning in his stomach and not letting him sleep. Tomorrow would be the newbies' official first day at Hogwarts and he couldn't be more nervous. He wasn't totally convinced of the Hat's decision to sort him into Gryffindor, and the prefects' speeches about fame, bravery and greatness just separated him more from the rest, in his opinion. Their adding how they expected many things from the new Gryffindor generation hadn't helped decrease his anxiousness in the matter the tiniest bit, either.

He sighed and rolled over, listening to the irregular snores coming from the bed beside his, Monta's, and the deafening ones from further into the room. Gaou's, he thought wryly. Still, the usually annoying sounds were keeping him grounded, not letting his mind wander off into unrealistic and apocalyptic visions of his first day at school.

Monta's sleepy muttering about Quidditch brought a small smile to his face, and suddenly his anxiety and insecurities melted into the background of his mind. He wasn't alone this time. He had Monta and Mamori, and even Riku. He also had his new roommates, although he wasn't sure he'd get along with all of them, and there were still a lot of people from other Houses. He might not have a friend in all of them, but for the first time in forever, he wasn't the odd one out. He wasn't a freak anymore, because he was in a school of sorcery. For the first time in a long while, he felt confident enough to let his worries go.

He didn't even notice when his eyes closed or when he finally left the land of the waking, lulled to sleep by the sounds of his sleeping roommates.

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Marco was happy to be sorted into Slytherin. Not because he was a blood purist or because of some family tradition, but because the House of the Snake would help him achieve his goals best. Also, it meant that his ambition was strong enough to be considered by an outside source as one of his most important traits and that filled him with pride.

He knew and accepted that life inside Salazar Slytherin's House wasn't the easiest. Hierarchy was strong, more present than in any of the other Houses. The more powerful and rich your family was, the higher up you were in the food chain. One's grade was a usual symbol of power among Slytherins too, and the youngest ought to respect the eldest, for they were more experienced and powerful.

Marco's family was quite powerful and rich, but he was just a first year, so he'd be nowhere near the top. Yet.

He wasn't in any kind of hurry, though. He had seven long years to climb up the hierarchy if he so wished. Right now, he only wanted to enjoy the feeling of freedom and independence that could only be felt by being away from family. Oh, he loved his parents very much indeed, but being away on his own for the first time in his life sent a thrill down his spine. It was his opportunity to grow strong on his own, to live his own adventures without parental influence. It made him go giddy with all the possibilities.

Which didn't mean he didn't have to talk to his parents at least twice a week – mum's orders- , or that they hadn't sent him a letter just before going to bed, not even twelve hours after they had last seen him. He hadn't wanted to open it in his room though, even if their beds had curtains to keep privacy. His parents were quite the eccentric couple, who usually didn't give a toss about social norms or customs. He didn't dare open the letter in case it was enchanted to read itself with his parents' voices, letting his roommates know all about his dad's out-of-the-norm job or his parents' eccentric ways.

That is why late at night, once everyone was asleep in their beds, he carefully slid out of his four-poster still fully clothed, and made his way across the room towards the door. Closing it behind him, he sighed in relief and, clutching his parents' letter to his chest, walked down the corridor that led to the common room. Surely it would be empty at this hour and he would be able to listen to the letter without anyone poking their nose into his business. With those thoughts in mind, he strode confidently into the silver and green-clad room, opening the envelope and taking the letter out.

Which is why he did a double-take when he saw a student sitting in one of the armchairs, feet obnoxiously kicked up on the coffee table. Rooted in place, Marco could only thank Merlin that his parents had decided a written letter would be more fitting than an enchanted one, or else this upperclassman would have heard his parents' no doubt embarrassing speech.

The student hadn't lifted his gaze from his book yet, even though Marco had the feeling that he was aware of him just fine. Swallowing a bit nervously, he straightened his shoulders and, as confidently as he could, waltzed to the sofa opposite the upperclassman. He sat down, eyes expectantly fixed on the other boy, who had yet to acknowledge him. He couldn't help but think the boy looked familiar, even with his face somewhat obscured by his reading position.

He unfolded the letter and began reading. Apparently, his family had decided it was a good time to leave everything behind and travel to Italy – Italy of all places! – to visit friends and get a 'well-deserved' vacation. Aside from that, they wished him a great first day and they hoped he was enjoying himself and bla bla bla.

Unable to help himself, he lifted his gaze in a hopefully inconspicuous manner to stare at the boy in front of him. He was blond – a quite unusual shade of it, to be honest-, spiky-haired and lanky, dressed with just the bare minimum of Slytherin colours in his uniform…

He gasped when it dawned on him. Wasn't this the guy that had ambushed the first years on the stairs just a few hours earlier? It seemed surreal, but he _had_ been a Slytherin student after all.

If he was, he certainly looked different from the terrifying prankster standing on the banister. The basic appearance was the same, but without the anxiety and shock – and a bit of fear- that the smoke and explosions had brought, Marco could see him more clearly. Without the terrifying grins and the spooky cackling, he didn't look too intimidating. He wasn't exceptionally tall, although it was surprising how skinny he was, noticeable even under the uniform. He also had curiously long ears adorned with black hoops and his hair wasn't as spiky as it had been in the evening, meaning he had used some kind of spell or substance to keep it that way.

All in all, he looked like any other student now that he sported a serious expression on his face while reading from the book in his lap. Nothing like the spooky apparition in the hallway, which is probably what allowed Marco to gather enough courage to smile as confidently and calmly as he could manage – the kind of smile that looked so cool- and to address him.

"You are the one who ambushed us this evening, aren't you?" he asked in an even tone, not sharp enough to scare off possible allies nor soft enough to be taken lightly by enemies, just as Dad had taught him.

The boy lazily lifted his gaze and Marco was pinned to the spot by penetrating green eyes. The upperclassman stared at him for some seconds, but returned his eyes to his book.

"And what if I am?" the boy drawled, turning the page nonchalantly.

Marco's smile wavered for a moment. So maybe this guy wasn't like your average student after all. He recovered quickly though, and attempted to recover his previous calm and suave aura. "Oh, I was just wondering. A neat trick, that one. Is this what everyday life will be at Hogwarts?"

Green eyes met his own again, this time with an arched eyebrow. Marco tried his hardest for his smile not to turn wobbly as a slow grin appeared on the upperclassman's pale face. "Oh, didn't you know? It's gonna be _hell_."

Marco stared for a few seconds, letting out a soft, nervous laugh. _'Is this guy for real?'_ he thought to himself in disbelief. He was just thinking of what to say when the boy snapped his book closed.

"It's late though. Good children like ourselves ought to be in bed by now, " he said in an almost singsong voice, mocking grin in place. "Right, fucking eyelashes?"

Marco had been thinking of huffing in disbelief, but the last comment just left him blinking.

"What did you call me?" he asked in shock. He couldn't have heard right. What was wrong with his eyelashes anyway?

The upperclassman just ignored him, making the book disappear somewhere inside his robe as he stood up. Marco unthinkingly did the same, clutching his parents' letter in one hand. The blond shot him a disturbingly amused look and headed for the dorms. After some hesitation, the first year did the same. There was no reason to stay anyway, as he had already finished reading the letter.

The boy suddenly stopped walking just as they were about to enter the corridor. He looked at Marco from above his shoulder with a funny grin. "Oh~! And don't forget to try out for Quidditch! The team could use someone as keen-eyed as you, Reiji Maruko."

He just blinked and only had the time to automatically correct the use of his full name, for the boy was already laughing his way to his dorm's door and closing it behind him.

He stood there in silence for some time, before coming to his senses again and making his way to his room as quietly as he could. He silently put his PJs on and laid down on his bed, covering himself up to his chin.

' _Well, tonight I've learnt something,'_ he thought with an uneasy smile. _'That's one guy I'm going to stay away from as much as I can.'_

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Over the years, Hogwarts students had become accustomed to the strangest of things. These things varied from magical objects and creatures to extravagant professors and students. That is why no Hufflepuff student above first year batted an eyelash when they went out of their dorms into their common room to find a blond Slytherin student sitting on one of their comfy sofas like he owned the place, chatting distractedly with two of their housemates while showing them a book.

The Hufflepuff first years, however, did more than bat an eyelash.

"What is a Slytherin doing here?"

"Is he gonna pull a mean prank on us?"

"How did he even enter? No one but us knows the knocking pattern!"

They whispered among themselves, huddled at the end of the corridor that led to the common room, hopefully out of sight.

They each commented on their own theories, wisely ignoring Taki's, "Aha~ha! I'm sure he came to see me, having heard of my greatness~!"

"Maaa~ How interesting! A Slytherin in our dorm! You think he'll teach us some cool spells?" exclaimed Mizumachi, gesticulating towards the green and silver-clad student.

"Fugo!" said Komusubi, although no one understood what he meant.

"Hey, isn't he the one that ambushed us yesterday?" asked a petite, blonde girl nervously.

The chatting abruptly stopped and they all stared at the Slytherin with laughable intensity.

"Oh my god! He is! He is going to hex us all!" a pudgy boy exclaimed fearfully.

"That's great! I wanted to learn the hex he used on that prefect anyway!" said Mizumachi with a grin. He was about to step into the room -to loudly make his presence known- while the rest of the first years tried their mightiest to stop him by bodily restraining him.

This was the spectacle Osamu Kobanzame stepped into. He paused and blinked. "What are you guys doing?"

The newbies stopped their struggles and began animatedly whispering to let the sixth year in on the loop.

"There's a Slytherin in our common room!"

"Not any Slytherin either! The infamous Hiruma!"

"Help us, please! I'm afraid to go in there!"

"Kobanzame! You know him? Can I talk to him? Will he teach me hexes?" Mizumachi's excited questions were heard even over the furious whispering of his classmates.

Kobanzame listened in confused silence and finally raised his arms with a nervous smile to make them stop. "Now, now. Don't talk all together, please! A Slytherin, you say?" With a raised eyebrow, he poked his head into the common room and looked around until he spotted the sitting trio. "Oh. Oh!"

He turned to them with a somewhat nervous smile. "That's Hiruma, yes. I heard what he did yesterday. He did it last year too…" He scratched his temple, but widened his smile, trying to look reassuring. "Don't worry though, he won't do anything bad or mean while he's here. He's friends with Kurita and Musashi, you see, so it's quite the common sight to see the three of them here."

The first years started whispering again, awed and offended at the same time by the news of the strange inter-House friendship.

"And is it okay for him to be here?" asked a short boy, sounding scared.

"Oh, don't worry. You'll get used to him being here soon enough. The problem is that no matter how many times we change the knocking pattern, he manages to slip in anyway, even though his friends swear they haven't told him anything."

While some still looked doubtful, others took the opportunity of older students walking into the common room to slip in themselves too.

"Oh, hey!" Kobanzame called after them. "Remember that he is harmless in here, but if you meet him in the corridor, RUN!" Not sure if they had heard him or not, he sighed and turned to the young Hufflepuffs still there.

"Well, come on, let's go have breakfast," he said, smiling gently at them. "I'll lead you there if you want."

Slowly, the common room that had been filled by students began to empty when they began heading for the Great Hall, where breakfast was served. The unusual trio of friends stood up and followed after the rest too, chatting quietly among themselves, leaving an empty room behind.

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Sena hurried along the corridors with Monta on his heels. They were going to be _late_. On their very _first day_. That was a whole new level of bad luck.

' _Why do these things always happen to me?'_ he wondered pitifully.

The day had started okay. They had all woken up on time – more or less – and headed to the Great Hall to have breakfast. After they had all finished eating, their Head of House - Professor Longbottom – had handed over their timetable. They had spent some minutes talking it over, commenting on which subjects they were looking forward to the most and the least.

Afterwards, one of the prefects—McKenzie- had come by saying she was going to lead them to their assigned classroom. It was all going perfectly fine until both Monta and he had felt the need to pee. As Monta assured him that he remembered the toilets were close by, they had slipped off the group, unnoticed.

He should have known that afterwards their group wouldn't be anywhere in sight, no matter how fast they were, and that they wouldn't have the tiniest idea of where to find their classroom. To make things worse, rumours said that their professor was the most severe in the whole school.

Thank goodness they had met the janitor, who, after yelling at them thinking they were slacking off, had grudgingly pointed them in the right direction. Now they were running along the dungeons' corridors, trying to find the correct door. Why were their classes down there anyway? It was scarier than the House of Terrors in the travelling funfair.

"Ah, Sena! We made it max!" yelled Monta beside him.

They had finally arrived, and miraculously, the door was still open. Sena had just allowed himself to smile in relief when a dark figure began closing the door, his back to them.

"No!" he whimpered unconsciously, running faster.

The dark figure turned around at the sound, hand still on the doorknob. The man, dressed all in black, was glaring at them down his generous nose. Sena remembered him from yesterday: the Head of the Slytherin House. An epitome of dark and intimidating if he ever saw one.

"I-I… S-s-sorry, P-p-profe-" he began, stammering uncontrollably , wobbly smile frozen on his face.

"Sorry, professor, but we got lost on the way here," Monta finished for him, for which he was hugely grateful.

The man eyed them up and down with clear distaste. "Well? What are you waiting for?" he snapped, clearly irritated. "Get inside!"

They both thanked him quickly as they dashed inside and headed to the only free spot at the back of the class, but not before hearing him mutter something along the lines of, "They _had_ to be Gryffindors…". They sat down, took their books out and hung their heads low as the professor waltzed to the front of the class, robe billowing behind him.

As he began his speech, Suzuna – who was sitting just before them - subtly turned around to wink at them both.

"That was a close one, guys," she whispered, quickly turning back around to avoid being caught.

Sena sighed tiredly, but shared a smile with Monta anyway. Even after his rocky start, he was kind of excited to start his new life at Hogwarts. Trying to keep his thoughts positive, he began writing down a list of things the professor was drawling about, even if he didn't really know how to use a quill. Not two lines later, his text looked more like a black patch than anything else. Thank goodness he had all the parchment he needed and that the most important words were magically appearing on the blackboard.

As he tried to write the items of the list again, this time at an agonizingly slow pace, he dared to hope the next class would be an easier one.

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 **END OF CHAPTER ONE.**


	5. 2- The wonders of the magical world

Author's note: Special thanks to shadowpaintress, who is the most wonderful Betareader!

 _ **Chapter 2**_ **: THE WONDERS OF THE MAGICAL WORLD.**

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Sena let himself fall onto his seat at the Gryffindor table. It had been an exhausting day, and it was just lunchtime. Mercifully, they didn't have any classes in the afternoon, so they could at least relax a bit. He sighed tiredly and let his head rest on the table for a couple of minutes, enjoying the peace and quiet of the moment. He was so wrecked, he'd probably fall asleep like a baby that night.

He suddenly felt a soft hand on his shoulder and turned around in confusion, only to find himself with a face full of breast.

"Sena! I was looking for you! How are you? Did you have any trouble with your classes? Did you eat all your vegetables yesterday? Did you make friends? Was someone mean to you?"

"Ma-mamori… I… can't… breathe…" he mumbled, voice muffled by her robes.

"Oh, sorry!" She released her grip on his head, but left her hands on his slim shoulders. "Are you feeling okay? You look pale."

"I'm always pale," he argued, but his smile brightened.

Mamori could be a bit overbearing sometimes, but she had always been kind and helpful with him. She was like an older sister, a really close friend he'd known since he was a baby; and even though they had understandably grown a bit apart since she'd started attending Hogwarts, they had always spent lots of time together during the summer.

This year, however, they had just spent a couple of weeks together during summer break. They hadn't been able to be with each other much in the train either, and of course it had been impossible to even see each other after the sorting had ended. He had missed her a lot, and he was just so very happy to be with her again that he couldn't control his widening smile.

"Oh, Sena." She smiled back at him. "I'm so proud of you. Gryffindor is a great house; I'm sure you'll feel at home in no time."

He beamed at her, feeling happy at her words, because it was probably the first time she had said that she was proud of him. He was about to respond when a familiar loud voice interrupted.

"Hey, Sena...! Oh… Mamori!" His friend arrived at the table but barely spared him a glance, his whole attention focused on the girl.

"Hey, Monta." He waved at him even though he knew his friend wouldn't notice, as caught up as he was with Mamori.

"Oh, hello, Tarou. How was your day?" she asked politely with a kind smile on her face.

"It was awesome MAX! We had double Potions in the morning, and we almost arrived late, but Sena's quick legs and lots of luck saved our butts!" he said excitedly. "Potions is super difficult though, but I'm sure Sena and I will do great!"

"What? Did you arrive late, Sena? For Professor Snape's class?" she repeated with a frown, removing her arms from around him and putting her hands on her hips in a very motherly manner.

He smiled nervously, looking at Monta for help. "Erm… it's because we had to go to the toilet… and then we lost the rest of the group and we didn't know where the class was… But we arrived on time!" he hurriedly added, seeing Mamori's pinched face.

She looked at him for a few seconds, then at Monta and back at him. She sighed and pointed a finger at him.

"Fine, but I hope it's the last time I hear something like this, Sena," she started in that lecturing voice she liked so much. "This is no way to start your first day at Hogwarts."

"Yes, of course! The rest of the day went quite smoothly. Right, Monta?"

"Yes! After Potions, we had Care of Magical Creatures. It was a bit boring, but Hagrid is a really nice fellow! I can't wait to take it as an elective and actually see creatures instead of just sitting down and reading about them. Oh! And then we had History. It was such a bore, I fell asleep!"

Sena smiled at his new friend's excited speech, but Mamori had a strange expression on her face. "Um… well, I guess many people find Professor Binn's classes quite boring… You didn't fall asleep, did you, Sena?"

' _Ah, so that's why she had such a weird face. Of course,'_ he thought. "I-I… no-no, it was very boring, but I managed to stay awake… somehow… I was too freaked out by the professor being a ghost anyway…" he replied nervously, scratching his head.

Monta laughed at his last comment, patting his shoulder in support, while Mamori nodded her approval.

"Well, boys, I have to go. I haven't had the chance to speak with him yet, so say hello to Riku when you see him, okay?" she asked with a warm smile, hugging Sena tightly. "See you boys later!" She waved as she headed for the Ravenclaw table.

Sena was still smiling happily when he noticed Monta's love-struck face. "Monta?"

"She's so pretty…" he mumbled, staring after her.

Sena watched him with growing worry. He had seen Monta's face when he had introduced them on the train, once the both of them had settled in a wagon of their own and Mamori had found the time to visit him. Monta had made that exact same face, and he didn't know what to do about it. It was clear that Monta had a crush on Mamori, but he was pretty sure it wasn't reciprocated…

"Sena!" a chirping voice thankfully derailed such uncomfortable thoughts, and Suzuna grabbed his arm while smiling at them both. "Wanna play Exploding Snap? You too, Monta!"

Monta had taught him how to play during the long train ride, but he still didn't feel very comfortable playing a game where cards randomly exploded in your face. His friend didn't feel any of his hesitation though, because he immediately shouted his consent for the both of them, his crush momentarily forgotten. Suzuna smiled and led them closer to the table, where Yamato and some girls whose names he had yet to learn were waiting with a deck of cards at the ready.

They'd only had time to play a couple of games before the table was filled with plates full of food, but they'd had a good time filled with laughter, so Sena hadn't minded the exploding cards that much. Riku arrived in that very moment, explaining that he had been writing and sending a letter to his parents, and sat down with them. They ate heartily, hungry from the tough day and in need of extra energy that would allow them to finish the day. They also chatted and commented on their classes, while Gaou just hummed from time to time. The last two first-year boys either weren't in the Great Hall or were having lunch at another table. Lunchtime ended far too soon for Sena's liking and they all headed for their common room, hoping to finish all their homework together.

"Most students still have classes right now, so there must be enough space in the common room for all of us to do our homework comfortably," said Yamato, flashing them that dashing smile of his.

When they stopped in front of the Fat Lady to give her the password, Sena looked around and realised that Gaou had disappeared. He frowned a bit, worried, but didn't mention a thing as they all entered the quiet room. During classes, he had noticed Gaou sitting alongside a slim Slytherin, who he supposed was a friend. He guessed they preferred spending time together when they could, because if were his dear friend who was in another House, he would too. Now that he thought about it, the two boys whose name he hadn't learnt yet seemed very close to another Slytherin student, so it was more common than he'd previously thought…

Monta clapping him on the back pulled him out of his thoughts. "C'mon, Sena! What's wrong? You gonna stand there all day?"

Sena laughed bashfully as he entered alongside his friend. "Sorry, I spaced out for a moment."

Monta looked at him with his face scrunched up in confusion, until he seemingly gave up and muttered something about weird muggleborn idioms as he sat down on the sofa. Sena followed suit, apologising a couple of times and explaining the meaning of his expression.

Yamato clapped his hands to gain everyone's attention, leadership skills showing as he confidently recited that day's homework and decided the order in which they would complete each task.

"Of course, not all of us will finish the homework at the same time, but that's what the group is for, right?" He smiled encouragingly, gesticulating with his hands. "If someone has any doubt about something or is having a hard time understanding a concept, we can all help."

The group all gave their consent as they opened their books and began doing their homework. Sena read the first task, Potions, at least four times before looking around nervously.

"Monta," he whispered, getting closer to his friend to do so. "What do we have to do for Potions?"

His friend looked at him and scratched his head. "Er… An essay about which potions from this list can be useful for which illnesses?"

"Yeah, but what is a Blemish Blitzer?"

"…I dunno."

"Oh… and what's an Oblivious Unction?" Sena pointed at a name on the list.

"No idea."

"Essence of Dittany?"

"It does ring a bell…"

"Fergus Fungal Budge?" Sena raised his eyebrows dubiously.

Monta shrugged.

"Okay, what about—"

"Oh my gosh, boys! If you need help, just ask for it!" said Suzuna, trying to sound reprimanding but incapable of holding back her laughter.

They both looked bashfully at her. "It's just that they have such strange names…" started Sena, ducking his head and staring at the floor as he blushed.

"A Fergus Fungal Budge is a potion that cures athlete's foot," said a tan, black-haired girl. "Mom had to use it not so long ago on my little brother."

"And I know Blemish Blitzer is supposed to cover up acne and freckles and those kinds of things. My older sister always uses it!" another one said with a laugh, pursing her lips and sticking her chest out in clear imitation of said sister.

"I'm pretty sure Essence of Dittany closes wounds. It's often used in Quidditch."

Monta's face brightened as he hit a fist against his open palm. "It's true! That's why it sounded familiar!"

In the end, they all did their homework aloud, putting all their limited knowledge together and unashamedly asking around when they didn't understand something. They brainstormed when the book's information wasn't enough and helped each other to make their essays look as different as possible. Not a couple of hours later, they had all finished both their Potions and History essays and their Care of Magical Creatures' task.

Yamato excused himself soon after, and so did a couple of girls who Sena learnt were called Leilani Hekekia and Linnea Frank respectively. The rest spent a good part of the afternoon playing Exploding Snap and teaching Sena, who was the only muggleborn, the basics of Wizarding Chess, even though none of them could play very well. Around four o'clock, a horde of older students started to invade the common room, complaining about piles of homework and asking them to keep silent, so they left to explore the castle.

"Are-are you sure this is a good idea?" Sena asked the group of Gryffindors, self-consciously looking around. "The scary guy from yesterday said the castle was dangerous…"

"Oh, c'mon, Sena," huffed Celandine Brazewood, a brash and loud-mouthed girl with bright, baby blue eyes. "It was obviously a lie to scare us first years. He was a Slytherin after all."

"He looked like a funny fellow, though," commented Suzuna happily, leaving the rest to wonder what exactly had given her that impression.

Against Sena's wishes, they began walking down the old corridors of the castle. Monta had begun discussing Quidditch teams with Riku and Celandine was speaking with the other Gryffindor girl, Areebah Khan, so Sena was left to awkwardly talk with Suzuna. It wasn't that he disliked the girl or had any problem with her, but he was shy by nature and had trouble speaking with strangers. The awkwardness was soon forgotten though, as Suzuna proved to be a very easy person to talk to. She was cheerful, restless and vivacious, and talked _a lot_ , which was probably his complete opposite. In the time they took to reach the gardens outside, she had told him all about her idiotic older brother, how they could have ended up in different grades if one of them had been born a couple of weeks earlier or later, her muggleborn mom's job as a kid's book translator, her pureblood dad's fruitless search of a muggle job he was good at, her love for roller-skating, the summers spent at their grandparent's house in Godric's Hollow and how she liked The Hobbit better than the Lord of The Rings trilogy. In return, he told her about his muggle parents, how their cat bullied him, how his mom had met Mamori's when they had been little girls —thus learning about the magical world—, the summers spent in the Anezaki house, how Riku had moved into the neighbourhood and had become their close friend only to move out three years later, his indifference towards any sport and how they had all been surprised when he had turned out to be a wizard. It surprised even him how fast he had opened up to her, but he had to admit it felt good. Kind of liberating. He was quite sure not even Monta knew so much about him.

He was pulled out of his musings when the door they had been about to open banged against the wall quite loudly, giving entrance to a trio of upperclassmen. A purple-haired boy was talking animatedly, while a stoic, dark-haired boy and a girl with —hopefully— dyed blue hair listened.

"-an't believe it! First day and already a mountain of things to do! This ain't cool at all!"

"None of the assignments are for tomorrow, though. We have the whole weekend to do them," replied the serious boy.

"Yep, suck it up, Koutarou!" said the girl with a laugh. "And it's not that bad. We only have homework for Astronomy and Transfiguration. Thankfully, Professor Longbottom is the closest thing to a human teddy bear and he didn't give us anything to do."

"Yeah, he's a nice guy. Pity there aren't more like him…" The purple-haired boy stopped talking abruptly as he spotted the group of Gryffindors. "Oh, hey! Aren't those firsties? I haven't introduced myself yet!"

Sena watched in trepidation as the loud boy came closer and addressed all of them with a huge grin on his face. "Hello there! I'm Koutarou and I'll be your cool upperclassman from now on! You can call me Big Bro if you want!" he yelled, striking a winning pose.

It might have truly been cool if not for the pose.

"Who's this clown?" Celandine whispered none too quietly, eliciting an indignant squawk from Koutarou.

"Stop scaring off the firsties, idiot!" said the blue-haired girl, smacking his shoulder.

"I'm not scaring them off! I'm just introducing myself, but they are ruder every year! 'Clown', she said!" protested her friend.

Suzuna was the first to open up. "Hi there! I'm Suzuna and these are Sena, Celandine, Areebah, Monta and Riku. You are Koutarou, and you?" she asked, looking at the purple-haired boy's companions.

"I'm Juri Sawai, but everyone calls me Julie. And this is Seijuurou Shin," the older girl introduced, smiling pleasantly while the boy nodded in greeting.

"Seijuurou Shin? You're on the Quidditch team, right?" spoke Riku, eyes glinting as he studied the upperclassman.

Shin turned to look at him, face stoic, and nodded. Riku's smirk betrayed his excitement.

"I'm Riku Kaitani, and I'm planning to be the best Chaser Gryffindor has ever had," he said with absolute conviction.

Monta spluttered behind him and righted himself while exclaiming loudly, "And I'm planning to be the school's best Keeper MAX!"

Shin stared at them both before nodding. "Then I'll be waiting for you on the pitch," he said, turning away and heading right.

"Hey, Shin. Where are you going?" asked Koutarou.

"To train."

"Dunno why I asked," he muttered sullenly.

"Wow…" whispered Sena, staring at the retreating Gryffindor's back, and he wasn't the only one.

"Bye, Shin! Oh c'mon, Koutarou, don't be such a drama queen. We were going to visit Akaba anyway."

"Yeah, but I thought he…" began the purple-haired boy, only to be cut short by Celandine.

"Okay, that was very cool."

"Are you kidding!? It was awesome MAX!" replied Monta, trying to strike a pose. "' _I'll be waiting for you on the pitch.'_ "

"That wasn't it at all, Monta," teased Riku, earning a snicker from Sena and Suzuna.

"Hey! You do it then!"

Julie giggled and whispered to herself about how cute the first-years were, but Koutarou was offended. "What!? Why do you say he's awesome and I ain't, huh!? I'm cooler than him!"

Celandine regarded him with a condescending look. "No, you aren't. He's cool, and you are a clown."

"What!? The nerve! I'll show you, I'll…" He was cut off by the appearance of a trio of first years. Sena recognised them as his two still nameless roommates and their Slytherin friend. "Oh, look, more firsties. Let's ask them. Hey! I'm your cool upperclassman, Koutarou Sasaki! You can call me Big Bro!"

The three of them turned to him with a sour expression in their faces.

"Huh?"

"Huh!?"

"HUH!?"

"Like hell! Leave us alone, jackass!" they chorused and left before anyone could say anything, leaving a horrorstruck upperclassman behind.

"What is up with those guys?" exclaimed Suzuna, putting her hands on her hips with a frown.

"What a trio of jerks," muttered Monta.

"Julieeeee!" Koutarou whimpered, rushing to her side and dramatically putting his head on her shoulder. "What in the world's wrong with these firsties!?"

"C'mon now, Koutarou," she cooed, patting him on the shoulder. "I swear, you two are more melodramatic every year… It's your fault, for scaring them off like that."

"My fault!?" he asked, completely abandoning his acting. "How is it my fault?"

She just rolled her eyes at him. "Leave it. You may be able to understand it by the time you are in seventh year or so and you have been treated like this for six years straight."

Suzuna giggled. "You two are fun. I'm happy you are Gryffindors like us!"

The blue-haired girl smiled at her. "And I'm happy to have such a cute group of firsties in our House. Now, I'm sorry we held you up, you probably wanted to explore the castle, right?"

"Yeah! How did you now?"

"I've been a first year too, you know? The gardens are really beautiful this time of the year."

"Thank you, miss. We'll go take a look then," replied Riku, probably itching to go outside as much as the rest of them.

Julie laughed as she started pushing the still pouting Koutarou down the hall. "That's fine, then. We'll go pay a visit to our friend in Sly. Have fun!"

Once the funny duo turned the corner, Celandine wrinkled her nose. "Did she just say Sly?" she asked with disgust in her voice. Areebah, who had been quiet throughout the meeting, smacked her arm lightly. "Ouch, what's your problem!"

The shy girl just shook her head and followed Riku, who was opening the door and stepping outside. The rest followed soon after, excited to continue their exploration of Hogwarts.

.

.

Juumonji had actually been excited about their enrolment in Hogwarts. He'd known that the three of them would attend and he would finally be free of his father's annoying influence. They had made great plans for their stay in the magic school.

They should have known. _He_ should have known. This school was no different. It was run by people just like his father, rotten elitists that didn't care for anything other than money and status. He had been so furious about being sorted into Slytherin, that as soon as he'd been able, he had escaped to the restroom and punched the wall until he couldn't feel his hands anymore. Of course, when morning had come, the sissies he shared his room with had ratted him out and he had been forced to go to the infirmary before breakfast, even though he had insisted the injuries were just scratches. The witch in charge, Madam Pomfrey, had lectured him on causing trouble so early on, and he'd had to grit his teeth not to snap at her. By the time he had been released, it had been so late that he had been forced to go straight to class without breakfast.

Potions had been a bore, especially because the seats were in pairs. Snape was infamous for his foul temper and they hadn't dared risk asking him about letting them sit together, so he had been forced to sit next to a spoilt brat from his House.

After two hours of Snape droning about basics of the subject and the sociological importance of potion-making itself, the three of them had headed for theoretical Care of Magical Creatures. It was held for all of the first years at the same time, so the classroom was huge and they hadn't had trouble getting three seats at the back. He had completely ignored the excited giant trying to explain something or other with a badly drawn picture and had focused instead on his friends. He had felt an underlying tension between the three of them that had made his chest ache. When he had attempted conversation, though, they had fallen into routine without problems, sneering at and insulting everyone and anyone. They'd done the same in the History class — which was taught, as the rumours outside Hogwarts well said, by a bloody _ghost_ — because thankfully, the first day was a Thursday, when all of his classes were shared with Gryffindor.

At lunchtime, the three of them had felt even more tired than before their nap in the History class, and had entered the Great Hall like the undead. Juumonji had automatically gone for the green and silver table, forgetting about the House system until he had noticed his friends hadn't been following him. He had turned and seen them wearing pinched expressions.

"C'mon, what are you waiting for?" he had asked with a scoff and, after sharing a look, they had followed him to the table. His roommates had looked at him like he had grown a second head and a few upperclassmen had scoffed in disapproval, but the three of them had just sneered at anyone that had dared look at them. All in all though, the majority of the students hadn't even batted an eyelash, which had been a surprise.

They had eaten in cordial silence, ignoring the people around them and finishing as quickly as possible. They'd left the table without a single comment and had strolled down corridor after corridor until they'd reached the courtyard.

"So… what now?" asked Kuroki, crossing his arms behind his head in a careless pose.

"We could just… chill out," Juumonji answered, looking around for a good spot.

"Yeah, and pass the time with… something? Like back home."

"Not with homework, though," Toganou said, wrinkling his nose.

"No!" they both replied, and Juumonji was relieved that their banter at least was still the same.

They sat down against one of the courtyard's walls, practically hidden from view unless someone entered the courtyard. For some blessed moments, Juumonji had the sensation that nothing had changed; that they were still back home, fighting everything and everyone. As they relaxed and talked about their usual things - Quidditch teams, football teams, Toganou's sketchbook and his plans for drawings, Kuroki's music collection, his own couple of comic books - he could feel something warm tightening in his chest. Just like the old days, where only they existed in their own little, small world. Hogwarts didn't have to change that. Being in different Houses didn't have to change that. They were still themselves; they were still the closest friends they'd ever have, and that wouldn't change no matter what. Still…

Juumonji was man enough to admit he was afraid. Afraid of losing them, his best and only friends. It was a legit concern, all in all, because it wouldn't be the first time a friendship was ruined thanks to the House system. He knew of some cases. That was why he had to make sure they understood and wouldn't let that happen.

He nervously cleared his throat, earning confused twin looks at the unusual behaviour.

"Sup, Juumonji?"

"Guys, I… Geez, this is so sappy, but I wanted you to know that you are my best friends and I don't want my time with you guys to ever end," he blurted out, reddening to the tips of his ears at the cheesy words but maintaining a sort of serious and dignified expression.

There were some beats of silence while his friends stared at him. They must have been the longest seconds of his life. Then Kuroki chuckled.

"Geez, just a night with the snakes and you're already losing it? Shame on you, Juumonji." The brunet mockingly sneered, trying to lighten up the mood.

"Hey, Kazu, know that pretty words ain't enough," said Toganou with a similar idea in mind, repeating some words that were without doubt coming from the telly, probably from that reality show his mother watched. "If you wanna get to me, buy me a ring."

"You are not pretty enough for a ring," he replied without thinking, accustomed to the banter.

"Oh, the nerve!" his blond friend replied, striking a theatrical pose while trying to hold his laughter in, but soon enough the three of them were laughing aloud without caring who might hear them.

When they finally calmed down, Kuroki regarded him with a solemn expression. "Seriously though, you _know_ we'll always be friends. These sissies ain't enough to keep us apart," he said confidently, with Toganou nodding his agreement.

Juumonji let an unusually soft grin spread across his lips. "That's… that's good to know though."

His friends returned the smile and he couldn't think of another time when he had been happier. However, they were bad boys with an image to maintain, so the sappiness had to go. "I'm hungry. Let's go grab something to eat."

"Huh, right."

"Where? There are no shops here," complained Kuroki.

"The kitchens?" Juumonji asked, a clear 'duh' in his tone.

"They're out of bounds for students," the brunet replied.

"Since when do we follow rules?" asked Toganou, wrinkling his nose.

"We don't, but they're _hidden_."

As he stood up, Juumonji suddenly had an idea. "I know." He waited for his friends' attention to be on him before continuing. "Some student must have kept some of the sweets from the train ride. Let's look for someone and 'borrow' them."

Wicked smirks blossomed on their faces. "My, my, Juumonji. You are a criminal mastermind in the making."

They left the courtyard and started wandering the castle's corridors, stopping students they came across and asking them if they had anything to eat. No one had anything, though, and their mood was quickly souring. It didn't help when an idiot appeared out of nowhere to shout nonsense at them.

"What's up with these guys?" Juumonji wondered aloud once they had rounded the corner, still agitated. "First the scary bloke from yesterday and now this clown. Are all the upperclassmen this mad?"

"Who knows."

"They better not be. I won't survive seven years otherwise."

Juumonji was about to retort when he saw someone crossing the corridor they were in. He immediately started giving chase, his friends close behind. "Hey! Hey, you!" he shouted after the figure, who stopped walking when he heard them.

It turned out to be a young, mousy boy, probably a first year like themselves, dressed in pristine new robes and a blue and bronze tie. He was carrying an armful of books and a bag rested on the pile. Juumonji could see some Chocolate Frog wrappers inside as he stopped in front of him.

"Yeah?" the boy asked, looking at them in curiosity.

"That bag. Do you have food inside the bag?" he asked, pointing at it with his chin. His friends stood at either side of him, almost surrounding the Ravenclaw.

"Erm… yeah, yes I do. Why?" The boy must have smelled something was fishy, because he hugged his possessions closer to his slim chest.

Juumonji smirked down at him. "Great. I'll be taking that," he said casually, sweeping an arm out and taking the bag.

"Hey! What's wrong with y-" The boy's indignant shout was cut off when Kuroki grabbed the front of his robes and pulled him off the ground, knocking him against the wall.

"Shut up!" he shouted, echoed by Toganou who stood next to him. "We're taking the sweets and you ain't telling nobody about this, got it?"

The Ravenclaw stared at the three of them, clearly spooked, and nodded breathlessly. Kuroki let go of him and stepped back, allowing the boy to take his fallen books and hurriedly go on his way. The three of them shared excited smiles and opened the bag, whooping at the contents.

"Oh, yeah! Seven frogs, two pumpkin cakes and a pouch of beans!"

"Great! Give me a frog!"

"I want a bean. Let's see how lucky I am today."

They continued laughing and sharing their bounty, unaware of the pale presence that poked its head out of the wall where the incident had occurred. Seeing the corridor empty once again, it came fully out of the wall and stared at the retreating boys. Its lips spread to reveal a toothy grin. "My, my. Now, that is interesting. I am sure the boss will love to hear about this."

Without any other sound, it sank into the floor, leaving behind a deserted corridor.

.

.

Hiruma had just arrived at the Slytherin dungeons after spending the whole afternoon with his Hufflepuff friends. He had a lot of things to do, lots of things to prepare, but he supposed there was no harm in spending the first day making sure his friends were settling down all right. He stepped into his empty dorm room and wasn't at all surprised when a young gentleman's translucent head glided through the ceiling.

"No one's here, you can come in," he said, walking to his bed and sorting through his things.

The ghost floated down until he was almost eye-level with him and flipped right side up, regarding him silently. He had the appearance of a handsome young man with posh curly hair and a neat goatee, dressed in transparent clothes nearly hidden by an equally translucent cloak. Hiruma waited for the spectre to talk while organising his things, but after five minutes of silence, he grew weary and finally snapped. "Well? Are you going to stare at me all night like a creeper or did you actually have something useful to tell me?"

The ghost had the gall to smirk at him. "They say patience is a virtue, boss."

Hiruma raised an eyebrow and pointed at himself. "Do I look virtuous?"

His otherworldly companion snickered. "Fair point. But I do have… erm, how did you refer to it this past day... 'juicy gossip' for you."

Hiruma's grin was a gash across his face as he cackled. "Well then, what the fuck are you waiting for, fucking Casper?"

.

 **Thanks for reading! Reviews are appreciated!**


	6. 3- Gather, little devils!

**Author's note: Special thanks to Shadowpaintress! Also, since Fanfiction doesn't allow for crossed out text, I'll let you know that when you see this ( whatever written here) in the letter at the end of the chapter, read it as if it had been crossed out, okay? Thanks for cooperating!**

 ** _Chapter 3_ : GATHER, LITTLE DEVILS!**

It was the second day of his fourth year and Hiruma was already bored out of his mind. He couldn't wait to be in sixth year and drop out of the most annoying and useless of the subjects. Thankfully, he had other pastimes to keep him occupied until his classes picked up speed and started being interesting once again. It was too soon for Quidditch, even if he had been keeping an eye out for possible future players, but right now he had his hands full with his spy network.

Yesterday night, Casper had notified him about three promising goons in first year, which was definitely good news, and later on more ghosts had come to him with similar info: "This guy is afraid of spiders", "She likes her friend's boyfriend", "I caught those two snogging", "He is planning a prank on this professor" and so on. When he'd first arrived at Hogwarts, it had been the obvious next step to try and get some of the ghosts interested in his little project and, just as he had expected, it hadn't been difficult at all. These ghosts had been floating around Hogwarts for centuries after all, so they would surely welcome with open arms a distraction from the monotony of their lives. The most mischievous and bored ones had been the first to agree, but his ghostly network had been growing at a steady pace since day one. Now that he might have found a way to make muggle tech work with magic, he didn't actually need them anymore, but he'd be a fool if he threw one of his resources away. After all, why choose when he could have both?

He also had his other 'business' to attend to, but that one almost ran by itself. Even so, it needed constant re-stocking and no one bested him at smuggling things into the magical castle. He skipped breakfast for that sole reason, but he made sure to be on time for his first class. And who wouldn't? Snape might have mellowed a lot with the years, but he was still a foul-tempered, strict and no-nonsense teacher that hadn't lost his spot as the most feared staff member in all the years he had been teaching. However, after four years of getting excessively acquainted with his office, there was little Snape could do to intimidate him. Which is why he strolled into the classroom like he owned the place and sat down in the first row of desks, regaling him with the most innocent and fake smile in his repertory. His Head of House had had enough of him the other night, it seemed, because he only rolled his eyes and looked away from him.

It wasn't long before Akaba sat down next to him. Hiruma just looked at him from the corner of his eyes while they took their books out, waiting for him to speak.

"You've left early and haven't come for breakfast," the redhead finally said with exaggerated casualness. "Are you planning something? Should I be worried?"

"Have you switched minds with fucking Anezaki now?" he asked, more curious than irritated.

Akaba just raised his hands in a pacifying gesture, but there was a smirk growing on his lips. "I'm just a worried citizen. It _is_ quite early to start with your scheming, isn't it? I just want to know what type of beat this melody inside your head is going to be playing at."

Hiruma snorted. " _Scheming_? Who the fuck do you think I am, some cheap cartoon villain?"

Akaba made a show of thinking about it. "Well, now that you mention it, if you turn your head that way, you look a bit like Dr Doofenshmirtz..."

Hiruma smirked. "I don't want to hear that from you, Phineas."

Their banter was cut short when Snape deemed the waiting time over and closed the door with a heavy thud. He turned around with flourish and began waltzing between desks. "I believe no introductions are needed. You know me and this subject well enough and, in return, I know all of you." He paused by Hiruma's desk to mutter, "Unfortunately, in some cases."

The blond just smiled as innocently as before, something which Snape promptly ignored while continuing with his speech. "Which is why I believe you need a warm-up before we start with this year's syllabus. So you'll begin with a Shrinking Solution from last year." He raised a hand to silence the whines and protests that sounded all over the room. "How old are you, five? The instructions are on the board. You'll work in pairs. No mischief or you'll spend the whole weekend cleaning cauldrons, understood? Now, you've got until the end of class to finish."

And with that he fell silent again, making the instructions appear in the blackboard with a wand movement. The students were already taking note of the ingredients needed, and were about to rise and get them, when Snape's voice rang through the room again. "Oh, and Mr Hiruma, Mr Akaba. As you should know by now, potionmaking is an exact and well developed art. There is absolutely no need for you to put your creativeness to use this year, are we clear?" he droned in an impassive voice, but his heavy glare made his warning very clear.

"Of course, sir."

"Crystal clear, sir."

"Good," he said, narrowing his eyes at their amused faces. "Now get to work."

There was a flurry of activity as the students searched for ingredients and discussed the recipe with their partner, then a tense quiet took over the class. The only sounds that could be heard were the chopping, the bubbling cauldrons, the occasional murmur from pairs discussing the procedure, and Snape giving advice while strolling up and down the classroom.

It wasn't the first time Hiruma and Akaba worked together, so they moved swiftly and hardly needed to talk. The blond chopped and prepared the ingredients, while the redhead stirred the potion and checked the time. Others, however, didn't have the same rapport and were bickering constantly over the smallest things, leaving their potion unattended and inciting Snape's wrath.

"Mr Sasaki, Mr Knatchbull, if you don't want the cauldron to explode and cover all of us with whatever burning concoction you have managed to produce, do stop quarrelling and take it out of the fire this instant!" snapped the professor, raising his voice's volume as he neared the pair.

The whole class turned to look as both boys frantically tried to move their copper cauldron from the fire without spilling its bubbling contents. Many took out their wands to help them, but Snape made the unstable potion disappear with a flicker of his hand. The troublesome duo sighed in relief, but it was short-lived as the annoyed professor launched into a long reprimand.

Hiruma rolled his eyes and turned his attention back to their own cauldron, where the potion had taken on a promising green colour. He added a splash of cowbane and stirred slowly. "If I remember correctly, the Shrinking Solution is supposed to be poisonous if badly brewed. Gotta wonder how those two idiots managed to transform it into a Molotov cocktail," he commented for Akaba's benefit, who was still watching his friend with a frown.

"Indeed," the redhead answered absentmindedly, catching Julie's gaze.

Hiruma watched from the corner of his eyes as the two friends exchanged looks ranging from worried to exasperated, talking as efficiently as if they were saying their thoughts aloud. They quickly snapped their heads forward when Snape addressed the whole class with a scowl.

"All of you, go back to your potions unless you want this disaster to be repeated." Wrinkling his nose in distaste, he turned back to the reprimanded boys. "As for you two, I'll give you a choice. You can either come back after classes to make the potion again or write a 17 inches essay _each_ on necessary precautions and adequate behaviour when brewing potions."

Koutarou and Bernie Knatchbull shared a horrified look at hearing their options, but were quick to choose. "We'll make it again!" they said in unison, knowing that being as they were, it would take them much less time to brew the potion one more time than to write an essay.

Snape nodded. "Very good, I'll be waiting for you then. For the time being, you can keep yourselves busy by writing ' _I will not endanger the whole class with my negligence again_ ' on a piece of parchment 60 times." Glaring both boys into silence when they began to moan and protest, he continued, "You'll hand the parchment over at the end of the class. And 20 points from Gryffindor."

Akaba finally turned his attention back to their potion, seeing that his friend's fate was sealed already. "Honestly, it's only the second school day and he's already in trouble. That must be a new record… Oh, wait, you got into trouble the presentation night, so I guess not."

"Yep, don't go around taking merits away from me, fucking red-eyes. I worked hard on that," Hiruma replied with sarcasm.

"Discordant notes disrupt a melody's flow, you know?" the redhead said casually, raising his thin eyebrows.

The blond just hummed distractedly in response, debating whether it was best to follow the recipe or try something different to see if it got the same result. Akaba sighed in defeat, shrugging his shoulders. "Whatever. So on another topic, what do you think of the first years?"

Hiruma raised his gaze to meet his, eyebrow cocked. "Same as always. Some interesting, some boring, all bratty."

Akaba chuckled, quickly simulating a cough to avoid getting caught by the professor. "What about Quidditch? Do you think we'll get some geniuses this year?"

Hiruma hummed. "There are quite a few promising idiots in the lot. Not many will make it this year, though."

"You think some of them will make it into the teams? Are they that good?" he asked in surprise, adding the correct ingredient before Hiruma had any chance to experiment.

Glaring at the redhead, he began stirring the concoction the exact number of times the blackboard indicated. No matter what he did now, nothing interesting would come out of it with so little of the procedure left. "In our year, only Shin, Ikkyuu and yourself played as first years, right? And the school had never had so many firsties playing. Well, your record has been met again."

"Three students? Who? Any for our team?"

"No, no Slytherins. They are Gryffindors and Ravenclaws. I suspect this year's stars will be Takeru Yamato, Taka Honjou and Rikiya Gaou. Those are who I'm betting on, at least," the blond answered, turning the fire's temperature higher still.

Akaba hummed thoughtfully, nodding his head. "I'll keep an ear out for those names then. But what about others? You said some of them are promising."

"They could be good assets to the teams, but they are still too green," he stated, watching as the vibrant, pistachio-coloured potion bubbled in the fire.

"Ah, I see. Well, it's not surprising, as there are very few members needed for each team. Only the best can be starters, even if there are other good players too. I suppose in that sense, this sport is a bit cruel, compared to muggle sports."

Hiruma snorted. "Yeah, well, it may be because all of Europe's Quidditch teams don't make up all the football clubs just in England."

"Yes, I suppose you are right. But back on topic," Akaba said, taking out his wand to make the final incantation for the potion. "Does Slytherin get any of these promising players? Haile is graduating next year and it won't be easy finding a replacement for her."

Hiruma let Akaba cast the spell on their potion before answering. "I found a guy with keen eyes, good reflexes and great passion, he just needs some polishing. Aside from him, only a couple could prove to be useful."

"Fuuu, I like the sound of that. I'll try to meet them as soon as possible and see it with my very own eyes."

"Don't go at them with your guitar. It won't do to have them be warier of you than of myself," Hiruma said, just before Snape called everyone to attention.

"Your time is up. Put your wands away and turn the fire off," he ordered, watching the class. "Let's see what you have managed to do."

As the professor began to inspect the potions pair by pair, explaining what they had done wrong and complimenting them on the overall good job, Akaba leaned over to his companion. "Why, I take offence at that. My guitar is awesome."

Hiruma just grinned funnily at him. "It is, but only when it's sitting by itself and not being played."

"Ouch. I'm hurt. What's with the gratuitous attacks?"

"What can I say, I may have accidentally shot myself with my Make-People-Mean-inator this morning."

.

.

Juumonji let out a loud yawn as he headed for his third period class, ignoring the disapproving glances some fellow classmates shot him. Those bloody snobs could suck it for all he cared. He really wasn't in the mood for that sort of shit, to be honest.

Classes were boring; difficult and new, but boring. They required an effort he wasn't keen to give, making them all the more unbearable. Today he had classes until the afternoon, which seemed impossibly long compared to the past day. Also, to add insult to injury, he only shared the after-lunch classes with Gryffindor, so he was on his own until then. He had spent most of his time seated next to a roommate of his - Maruko, if he remembered correctly, even though he insisted on being called Marco. He didn't particularly like the boy, but he was definitely less obnoxious than the rest.

Defence Against the Dark Arts had been interesting. Gawain Robards was a former Auror and it showed: he was strict and stoic, intimidating even, but he was patient and close to his students. Not being allowed to use their wands had been a bit disappointing, but the teacher's explanations of the syllabus had been easy to understand and had hooked the students, as they'd been interweaved with personal experiences and stories. Juumonji had only half listened as he'd struggled to remain awake, though. Thankfully, the next class had been a practical one, Herbology, even if it was useless in his opinion. Seriously, what did he need to know how to repot plants for, exactly? He was only grateful that he had finally been able to use his hands and hadn't been required to sit with anyone.

The most annoying thing had been the half an hour people had spent asking Professor Longbottom – yes, _that_ Longbottom – about his days with Harry Potter and the second war. He could tell the professor had been quite uncomfortable with all the attention, even though it must have been a common occurrence, and he had constantly tried to divert the subject to the plants they'd been working with. In the end, they hadn't done much, but at least Juumonji had got to mess around with some dirt and pots.

When they left the greenhouses, the Slytherins finally said goodbye to the Ravenclaws they had shared their morning classes with and went inside for Transfiguration. They met with the Hufflepuffs on the way there and, not for the first time, Juumonji wished he could share more classes with Gryffindor. He didn't understand why personality traits should decide who people spent their time with, nor why everyone else seemed to be fine with it. He knew for a fact that Marco had a friend in Gryffindor too, but he didn't seem as anxious as Juumonji himself to see him.

He briefly wondered if he was too dependent of his friends, but quickly dispelled the thought, angry at himself. There wasn't such a thing as being too dependent! The three of them were inseparable, nearly forming a symbiosis, and there was nothing wrong with that. They were at war with the world around them and found solace in each other, as simple as that. If he had to suffer their absence, he would; he was a tough guy and not a sissy. Besides, it would only make their reunion more enjoyable.

He was almost thankful when someone bumped him in the shoulder, because his thoughts had turned too sappy for his tastes, but still looked up with an annoyed frown just in case.

"Oh, sorry, didn't see you there!" a tall blond said, too cheerful to be apologetic.

Juumonji's frown deepened. "What, are you blind or something, you prat?"

The tall boy's grin slowly turned into a smug smirk. "Uh oh, someone is a bit cranky today. Got your undies in a bundle?"

"Huh!? You wanna start a fight, arsehole!?" he spat, getting truly angry at the cheeky bastard. He was not in the mood to deal with annoying prats. Gritting his teeth, he let his wand slide into his right hand while he made a fist with the other. He was a flexible guy; it didn't matter if he had to kick this bugger's arse with magic or with punches, he could do it either way.

The blond guy picked up on his current mood and willingness to fight, and actually laughed. "Maaa~! How interesting! I'm up for it, snake-boy! Do you know any cool spells? Otherwise you're gonna get your arse kicked!" he exclaimed excitedly, smirk widening as he too took his wand out.

"Bring it on, bugger!" Juumonji yelled, intent on shutting that prat's annoying trap up. He didn't care that they had attracted a bit of a crowd with their dispute and he would have started the fight if it weren't for that meddlesome someone.

"Oh my, this is bad. This is very bad! What are you doing, Juumonji?" Marco said quietly, sounding between panicked and exasperated. The boy put a hand on his shoulder to steer him away from the tall student, and despite his increasingly bad mood, Juumonji let him.

"Stay away from this," he retorted, shrugging his shoulder. "This prat knocked into me looking for a fight and he is getting one."

The blond guy, who was now loosening his black and yellow tie, laughed aloud. "Mate, you're a persistent one, aren't you? I already told you I was sorry! You're short, so I didn't see you from up here!"

"You don't sound very sorry, to be honest," Marco commented absentmindedly, looking between the two of them with a concerned frown.

"Right? What did I tell you?" replied Juumonji, looking at his housemate in exasperation. "He's just looking for a fight."

"Heh! Well, I wasn't!" the boy assured, bright eyes narrowing as his smirk grew. "But now I don't mind it so much. Let's get in some good moves before someone comes to bother us!"

he exclaimed loudly, pointing his wand at him. The beginnings of a spell were already on his lips when something smashed against his side. The tall Hufflepuff whimpered, rubbing his hip and stomach with a pout in his face. "Ouch! What was that for, shorty?"

Juumonji blinked in confusion and was surprised to see a small, round Hufflepuff appear out of nowhere by the prat's side. He had spiky, black hair, a round nose and small, beady eyes, and was currently scowling up at his housemate. "Fugo! B-be nice!" the short student exclaimed with a horribly nasal voice.

"Aw, shorty, we were just gonna have a bit of fun! No need to be so stuck up. Do you have your undies in a bundle too, like this guy? You wanna fight too?" the blond Hufflepuff asked, grinning down at his companion. "Sheesh, you only had to say it."

"N-no! Behave!"

"Aw, you're no fun," the tall Hufflepuff replied, pouting.

Marco sighed in relief, waving at the wary students gathered around to move on. "Well, that's that, I'd say."

"Hey, you, midget!" Juumonji pointed his wand at the newcomer, making the scariest face he could muster. "Who the hell asked you to play hero, huh? Stay out of this!"

The short boy turned his head to stare at him. He didn't seem intimidated at all, his beady eyes narrowed and his scowl as deep as before. Juumonji held his stare without trouble, already used this kind of showdown. And suddenly, out of nowhere, the short Hufflepuff sneered at him with a dismissing huff.

Juumonji saw red.

This time though, Marco was quick to hold him back, babbling on about troublesome behaviour and classes, but Juumonji didn't spare him any attention as he yelled at the short bugger. "Huh!? What the hell is up with that face, you bloody prat!?"

He had seen it in his eyes. It was the same glint his father would get when speaking of Kuroki and Toganou, and if he was feeling particularly pissed or disappointed, of his own son too. It was how older boys in the neighbourhood looked at the three of them, as if they were defenceless babies they could easily take candy from. The arrogant sneer that people who thought they were superior used on him and it made. Him. So. Mad.

"Juumonji, please. What's got into you today? Just calm down!" exclaimed Marco, struggling to keep him in place.

"Woah, you really are grumpy, mate. Is it always like this or did something happen today?" the tall guy asked, pursing his lips in thought.

Juumonji was about to snap at them all when yet another Hufflepuff student interfered. This one's approach was so bizarre that anger left him momentarily to be replaced by shocked confusion. The boy came swirling on one leg, like a muggle ballerina would, and stopped just between Juumonji and the short prat.

"Ahaha~" he said while striking a ridiculous pose. "Seems like you are having fun. If it's a competition, I have a 120% chance to win!"

Juumonji blinked in astonishment, temper settling as he shared a glance with Marco and the other Hufflepuff students. "Who the hell is this dimwit?" he asked, not sure he expected an answer.

The weird boy's sparkling smile disappeared in a grimace as his pose crumbled. "Impossible!" he cried, looking ridiculously affected by the insult.

The tall Hufflepuff laughed, putting the wand away. "That's Taki. Isn't he funny?"

"That's not the word I would have used, I think," commented Marco, so quiet only Juumonji heard him.

He looked down at the midget, but he was busy trying to talk with the Taki guy. With closed eyes, he breathed in and out, calming himself enough for Marco to let him go. When he opened his eyes, the tall guy was offering his hand to him.

"I'm Mizumachi. You are an interesting guy. I'd like to duel against you sometime," he said with an excited smirk, the last traces of malice against his person Juumonji had detected earlier dissolving as if they hadn't been there in the first place.

"Juumonji," he introduced himself gruffly, taking the outstretched hand in his.

"Well, thank Merlin you have calmed down," muttered Marco with a slight frown. "It was starting to get troublesome. I think we may be late now-"

"Hey, Maruko! Juumonji and company too!" A yell from the end of the hall had all five of them turning around to find a Slytherin classmate calling for them, hands on her hips and tone mildly scolding. "The class is about to start; you better hurry up!"

"Yes, thank you!" Marco called back, watching as she shook her head and turned around. "Well, we better follow her. It wouldn't do to make an enemy out of our Transfiguration teacher so soon."

"Maaa~! Have you heard?" Mizumachi asked suddenly, jumping in front of them and walking backwards to be able to face them. "About the teacher?"

"What about him?" asked Juumonji, following Marco while warily looking at the other two Hufflepuffs by his side.

"They say he's a portrait!" the excited blond exclaimed, gesturing wildly with his hands before crossing them behind his head. "How wicked is that?"

The two Slytherins shared a dumbfounded look before shaking their heads. "How can that be?"

"Stop taking the piss out of us."

"Hey! It's true!" Mizumachi replied, sounding a bit offended. "Our upperclassman told us so!"

"T-true!" the short Hufflepuff agreed, raising his fist in the air. "Ku-Kurita!"

"Right, Komusubi? Kurita would never lie to us!" the tall blond exclaimed, grinning. "It must be true! Isn't it super interesting to have a picture holding class?"

"Well, they _are_ animated," Marco acknowledged, still not looking too convinced, "but to let a portrait teach... That's odd even by Hogwarts' standards, I'd say."

Juumonji clicked his tongue. "I'm sure even a picture would have a more dynamic teaching style than Binns."

The rest easily agreed and left it at that, as they had finally arrived at the Transfiguration classroom. As they waited for the queue of students to enter so they could enter themselves, Mizumachi grinned mischievously over at them.

"Since you don't believe us, how about a bet? Losers have to do the winners' homework!"

The weird boy seemingly recovered from his previous disappointment and was once again spinning on one leg, the other raised high above his head. "Ahaha~! I bet I'm 120% right!"

Juumonji looked on with disgust and reluctant awe. He had never seen anyone pull off something like that, not even on TV or the Britain's Got Talent show he sometimes watched at Toganou's place, so he supposed it would be worthy of praise if it weren't so utterly ridiculous.

"Ah, I never play bets I'm not sure to win. It's something my father taught me. I find it hard to believe but not impossible, so I won't bet on anything."

Marco's declaration brought him back to the matter at hand and Juumonji, while usually not one to shy away from bets and fights, waved his hand in dismissal. "Nah, me neither. I'm too tired for this crap," he said, walking to the door without waiting for them.

"Aw, you're no fun!" he heard Mizumachi yell, no doubt pouting like they had deeply offended him.

As it turned out, it was fortunate they hadn't made the bet, because yes, the teacher _was_ a picture. Juumonji wasn't able to keep the dumbfounded expression from his face as the portrait ushered them to their seats. He sat down in the back row, Marco next to him and the other Hufflepuffs nearer than he would have liked.

"C'mon, c'mon. Welcome. Sit down, please. Is everyone here? Yes? Okay. Welcome to Transfiguration!" the man in the portrait exclaimed, opening his arms with a warm smile. "My name is Emeric Switch and I'll be your teacher. As you can see, I'm not a proper person. My real self died some years ago and I was made into a portrait. When the previous teacher Professor McGonagall became headmistress, she asked me to take care of the Transfiguration class until she could find a replacement. As it turned out, I was fitter for the role than any other candidate she could come up with, with having been an expert in life and writing the book we will be using in the next couple of years, so she made me an official teacher. Any questions?"

There were a few beats of silence before everyone started talking at the same time, some whispering among themselves while others were close to shouting. The teacher calmly raised his hands to quiet them. "Please, I understand it's new and strange for you, but you only need to ask your upperclassmen to know that, in the end, it's a class like any other."

"But how will you teach us something as practical as transfiguration if you can't even move?" asked a Slytherin girl seated in the first row, voicing the thoughts of most students.

"Oh, don't worry, Miss…"

"Bazilah Malik," the girl filled in.

"Right, Ms Malik. Do not worry about that. As you can see, the entirety of the walls has been filled with empty pictures so I can move freely through the classroom."

Murmurs and nods spread through the class when the students finally noticed the empty frames. Professor Switch smiled patiently, clearly used to the students' reactions. "Any more questions?"

A petite, blonde girl with the Hufflepuff uniform raised her hand timidly. "Um, yeah, I have a question, sir."

"Very good! What's your name?"

"Zinnia Penrose."

"Very well, Ms Penrose, do voice your question."

"I, um, I'd like to know how you will be able to help us when we have trouble with spells. The frames are useful for lecture, but I don't think they'll actually help for the practical part?"

The teacher nodded his head enthusiastically, as if he was happy he had been asked the question. "Yes, yes. Very good! That's a valid question. Really important, even. How could I, a two-dimensional picture unable to leave this parallel world on the other side of the canvas, be able to help you? Well, it's very simple, really. While I don't think it'll be necessary, as I can still demonstrate spells and give you both advice and instructions, if the need arrives, we will ask for help from one of the house elves and they'll perform the spell for you."

Mizumachi leaned forward on his desk, face eager and curious. "House elves? Can they do spells? I thought they couldn't use wands!"

"Oh, my boy, of course they can! Last year, we asked Pinkie to-"

"But sir! My granny has one working at her house and it can't use a wand," exclaimed a boy from Hufflepuff, looking confused.

"Oh, dear, how would anyone be able to _know_ when they aren't _taught_? You've seen their magic! It's purer and more powerful than a wizard's with hardly any education or training! Imagine what they could do if they could attend schools… Oh! But that is a debate for another time, I'm afraid. This isn't really the best class to discuss this, is it? You should give it a thought, though." Switch joined his hands behind his back and started waltzing from frame to frame. "Now, where were we… Oh, yes. So no problem when it comes to spells either. Any more questions? No? Then I'll explain this year's syllabus to you."

The rest of the class was spent with Professor Switch telling them about what they would be doing the rest of the school year and answering their questions. He had a propensity to divagate, but he was nice, kind and knew what he was talking about. Juumonji found it ironic that a picture was a better teacher than most, but he couldn't say he was really surprised. Hogwarts worked in a strange fashion. He was just relieved that the day had almost ended and only lunchtime and the afternoon classes were left. He couldn't wait for the weekend to come, and to be away from everything and everyone but his friends.

.

.

"Musashi."

"Hm?"

"What's the theory behind the Lapifors Spell again?"

Musashi sighed, closing the book he had been reading in the comfort of one of their common room's plush sofas, and turned to his friend. "This is why I told you to ask Hiruma for help yesterday. Now you have less than an hour until lunchtime to finish your homework. And anyway, the essay can be about anything we learnt last year, so why don't you pick something easier to write about?"

Kurita looked at him with wide eyes, probably at the end of his tether with nerves and desperation. "Like what?"

Musashi scratched his chin, where a couple of hairs were already appearing. "I don't know. How about Animagi? It's easier to explain than practical spells, as everything we were taught was theoretical. And I think I've seen a book about it around here somewhere…" he muttered, standing and walking over to the pile of books students had left in their hurry to arrive at classes on time. "I think I saw Danai reading it when we came back from Potions this morning and she should have left it around here."

"Oh, that's a good idea!" Kurita exclaimed, face brightening impossibly as he crumpled the almost blank sheet of parchment up and took out a new one. He was in the middle of writing the new title when something suddenly dawned on him. "Ah, but do you think Danai will mind if we use the book she was reading?"

"As long as we don't mess up her bookmark and notes, it should be fine. We'll tell her later and apologise if necessary. Ah! Found it!" Piling the books back into their previous position, he took the worn tome with him and sat down next to Kurita again. "Let's see. The essay doesn't need to be too long or specific, so as long as you cover the most basic points, it should be okay."

Kurita nodded, brows furrowed and lips pursed in determination as he started reading and taking notes on his parchment. Musashi smiled and returned to his book, but he had lost the thread and didn't feel like reading anymore. He closed the book and set it aside, stretching his arms over his head instead. "When you finish, we can pick Hiruma up from his Arithmancy class and then go to the Great Hall together."

Kurita nodded enthusiastically. "Yes! I'm so hungry I could eat a horse!" he exclaimed, his expression making it clear that his mouth was watering from the mental image alone. When his friend laughed softly, he shook his head to dissipate the thought and patted his own cheeks. "But I need to finish first!"

Musashi just watched with a cocked eyebrow and an amused smile, content to see his friend making progress in a subject he wasn't very good at. He was surprised when Kurita smiled quite suddenly, as if remembering something. "Hm? What is it, Kurita?"

"Oh, nothing. I was just thinking about Hiruma. He seems to be in an incredibly good mood this year, right?"

Musashi, leaning on the sofa's armrest, rested his cheek against his fist with a smile. "Well, last year, they finally settled the cold war between them and seem to be getting along well, so I guess it's his right to be happy about it."

"Yeah, I'm so happy for them," Kurita said, looking to the ceiling a bit dreamily, big smile in place. "But also, isn't he excited about some experiment or something like that? I didn't understand him too well yesterday."

"Oh, yeah. It's not like he ever explained it properly, but it seems he finally managed to do something he had spent a lot of time working on, which has resulted in a breakthrough for the wizarding world or something." Scratching the inside of his ear with his pinkie, Musashi added, "We'll find out soon enough, so I wouldn't worry too much about it."

"Yeah," Kurita agreed with ease, returning his attention back to his essay. They stayed silent for most of their remaining time, Kurita writing while Musashi daydreamed. When the giant boy finished, Musashi read over the essay and made some comments, helping him improve it a bit. When they deemed the essay ready, they packed their things and hurried out of the common room to find their Slytherin friend and have lunch together.

.

.

Sena found himself, once again, walking hurriedly up and down unfamiliar hallways. He couldn't quite believe his bad luck, but he was, without a doubt, irremediably lost. Again.

This time, it hadn't been entirely his fault, though. They had set out from their Transfiguration class with the Ravenclaws for the Great Hall without problems. While having lunch, the Gryffindor first years had talked and joked among themselves in a friendly and easy manner Sena still wasn't used to, but which he already cherished. Unfortunately, it hadn't been until after lunchtime, when they'd been halfway to their next class, that Sena had felt the need to pee. He hadn't gone to the toilet since morning, and between the excitement and nervousness of the day, he had completely forgotten to do it throughout the day. Monta too had apparently had the same problem, so they'd both scurried off to find the toilet. Suzuna had seen them and followed, assuring them she knew the way.

He didn't know when exactly they had become lost, but it had been a good five minutes since his companions had begun their heated quarrelling.

"I can't believe we followed you! Now because of you we're lost and we are going to arrive late for class!"

"What!? How is it my fault!? If you two dimwits hadn't taken the wrong turn and run away, we would still be on the path I know and we wouldn't be lost. So don't dump this on me, monkey!"

"Mukya! Don't call me that!"

Sena sighed shakily, watching the argument as if it were a tennis match. He remembered that moment. Suzuna had been confident in the path, saying that the toilet was just around the corner. Monta and he, being as Suzuna had well put it, dimwits, had run towards the end of the corridor and turned left. Suzuna had taken off after them, shouting something that they hadn't been paying attention to, but had probably been her pleas to stop running and take the correct turn. By the time she had reached them, they'd gone deep into the castle and not even she'd known how to return to their previous path. That must have been a good ten minutes ago, and by now he was so desperate to pee, he had to hold his groin to avoid an accident. He wondered if the castle purposefully had the toilets in the most inaccessible places possible or if they really had such a bad sense of direction.

"Is a map too much to ask?" he muttered under his breath, while his friends continued to scream at each other.

"What in the world are we supposed to do now? We need to get to class soon, but I don't think I can hold it in any longer!"

"Ugh! Don't say that aloud, you disgusting monkey!" she exclaimed, pulling a face.

"Who are you calling a monkey!?"

"You, obviously. A monkey who can't even follow directions!"

"Guys," Sena cut in before they could continue, desperation giving him the guts to speak up when he normally would have stayed quiet. "Please, stop! We really need to find a loo!" he whined, hopping from one foot to the other.

"Yeah, Sena's right. That's our priority on this mission!" exclaimed the girl, an excited grin taking over her previous bad mood. Affecting her voice so it sounded deeper than it really was, she continued, "Follow me, men, and we shall reach our goal!"

"Don't lie! We aren't even on the right floor!" Monta growled, pointing an accusing finger in her direction.

"Huh? How rude!" she said, blowing a raspberry at him. "If you know so much, why didn't you say anything when we were climbing the stairs?"

As the two continued their bickering, Sena wailed in desperation and pain. "A toilet! A toilet! I need a toilet!" he whimpered, running up and down the corridor while holding his crotch in an attempt to keep it in.

Suddenly, in front of their mystified eyes, a door appeared on the previously bare wall. Sena squeaked and jumped back in fright, while Suzuna whistled excitedly and Monta scratched his head in confusion.

"H-how… did a door…?" Sena stammered, hiding behind his friends.

"How exciting! A magical door!" exclaimed Suzuna, opening the door and peering inside. "Oh my gosh! Guys, it's a loo!"

"What!?"

Both boys hesitantly took a peek inside and were surprised to see the interior of a toilet very similar to the one in their dorms. They only shared a quick glance before rushing into the stalls, risks be damned. They were already feeling as if their bladders were about to explode, so they couldn't care less if they had to pee in a magical toilet that appeared and disappeared at will.

Both boys sighed in relief at the same time, silly smiles appearing on their faces. Monta even laughed aloud. "Phew, that was close! Right, Sena?"

"Yeah, thank goodness we made it."

"Yeah! It's weird, though. This room wasn't here before. I hope it doesn't disappear with us inside!" the boy said with a laugh, waiting for Sena's response.

Sena, however, paused in his actions, gulping, and hurried to finish his business. A soon as he finished, he rushed outside, where he was greeted by Suzuna's smile. "A toilet that appears out of nowhere! This is amazing! I'll be sure to ask Sis Julie about it."

"Ye-yeah… amazing… a bit scary, though," Sena replied, watching the door anxiously. He hoped it didn't disappear while Monta was still inside.

"Oh, c'mon, Sena! Where's your sense of adventure? This could be our first case as a fantastic detective duo!"

"A fantastic what?"

"We can be like Sherlock Holmes and John Watson! Or Conan Edogawa and Ran Mouri! Or-" her excited rant was cut off by Monta coming out. Sena finally breathed out in relief, especially after the door disappeared right after his friend had closed it behind him. Suzuna, however, didn't seem that happy to see him, if her pout was any indication. "And there comes our sidekick…" she murmured.

"What? What are you on about?" asked Monta, frowning suspiciously.

"Nothing! C'mon, let's go find our class!" she replied, taking the initiative and starting to walk.

"Ugh, yeah. Class must have started a while ago!"

Sena spared a sideways glance for the petite brunette. He didn't understand why, but Suzuna and Monta didn't seem to get along at all. Maybe it was that their personalities clashed too much or that they simply needed time to get to know each other, but he sure hoped they buried the hatchet soon.

Leaving those thoughts for later on, he hurried to follow his friends down the corridor which would hopefully take them to their Care of Magical Creatures class sooner rather than later.

"C'mon, it can't be that difficult! We were there yesterday, right? Wasn't it near the gardens?" complained Monta, rubbing his forehead when they were met with a crossroad yet again.

"No, I think it was near the kitchen," replied Suzuna, holding her chin in thought.

Sena couldn't for the life of him remember anything about the way to class. He had been chatting with Riku and hadn't paid any attention. In the end, they decided that finding stairs to climb down was a good start, as they at least agreed that the class was on a lower floor. It was in the middle of that task, that they ran into a tall Ravenclaw student, with Sena almost falling to the floor in the clash. Thankfully, the stranger caught him by the arm and helped him to his feet.

"Oh, I'm so sorry. I wasn't looking where I was going," apologised the upperclassman, pushing his glasses further up his nose. "Are you okay?"

"Ah, yeah! Yeah! I'm sorry! It was my fault! I'm sorry!" Sena said hurriedly, even bowing a bit in his rush to apologise. When he raised his head, the Ravenclaw was looking at him with a perplexed expression.

"Ah, no, don't worry about it," he replied, blinking at the display.

"Oh, Sena!" Suzuna exclaimed, unable to hide her amused grin while she patted his back. "You really are a klutz, aren't you?"

Monta laughed, putting a hand on Sena's shoulder. "Sena can't go around without making a scene. It's like he attracts trouble!"

"Monta, please don't joke about that," Sena complained, hanging his head to stare at the floor, even though he knew his friend was right.

"Well, if that is the case, I'm sure this time it was entirely my fault, so no need to add it to your tally," the Ravenclaw said with good humour, smiling kindly at him.

"Hey, this is lucky, guys! He may be able to help us get to our class!" Suzuna said, pointing at the stranger in front of them.

"You're lost? I was wondering what three first years such as yourselves were doing up here."

"Yeah, well, we needed to go to the toilet, but we got lost and now we can't remember where the class was," rambled Sena, tapping the tips of his pointer fingers together in his nervousness.

The upperclassman laughed good-naturedly. "Yeah, the castle can be confusing the first weeks. Don't worry, you'll get used to it soon."

"So will you help us?"

"Yes, of course. I have this hour free and was heading to the library to see if I could find a roommate of mine, but I've got time to spare. What class do you have?"

"Care of Magical Creatures," Suzuna replied as the four of them started walking.

The Ravenclaw turned his head to look at her, eyebrow cocked. "CoMC? That's on the ground floor. What are you doing here?"

"We got super lost!"

"Yeah, I can see that. Well, don't worry. There are stairs nearby, so we'll get there in no time."

"Thanks a lot! I'm Suzuna, this is Sena and that's Monta."

"Nice to meet you. I'm Ichirou Takami, sixth year Ravenclaw."

They exchanged pleasantries between the four of them, Suzuna being unsurprisingly the most forward of all. "Oh, sixth year! You'll be able to give us a lot of tips, then!"

"Ah, of course," Takami said, smiling down at her. "I'll help you with anything I can. That's an upperclassman's duty, after all."

"Great! Then you might be able to help us solve the mystery!" she exclaimed, excitedly throwing her arms into the air.

"Mystery?"

"Oh, yeah, well, you see…" started Sena, nervously looking around. "It's kinda strange. I'm not even sure if-"

"A door appeared out of nowhere and there was a toilet inside," Monta cut in.

Takami paused. "A door, you say? Appearing out of nowhere?"

"Yep. And then it disappeared into thin air."

The upperclassman pushed his glasses further up his nose, pensive. "Where was that?" As Suzuna pointed out the direction for him, he raised his eyebrows in shock. "Well, it may be that you have come across the-"

"Hey!" A shout cut the tall student off, startling the first years. They watched as a hunchbacked, dirty-looking man limped towards them. "What are you doing here? Skipping classes, huh? You can't escape from me, you bloody troublemakers!"

The three Gryffindors yelped and hid behind Takami, who just fixed his glasses and smiled pleasantly at the man. "Mr Filch, no need to get so worked up. I think there's a misunderstanding-"

"Huh? Takami! You're a good kid, what are you doing with these truants?" Filch gruffly wondered, stopping in front of the group and glaring at all of them.

"I'm helping them find their class. They aren't skipping, they just got lost. You know first years don't get along with Hogwarts' endless corridors."

Filch glowered at the three of them, almost as if he wished they really were skipping classes so that he could punish them. "You sure?"

"Yes, sir. You don't need to worry. I was about to take them to their CoMC class."

Suzuna poked her head out behind Takami to hesitantly smile at the old man. "Yeah, sir, we're just lost. We actually want to go to class."

Filch glared at her for some time before shrugging in irritation. "Fine! But I'll take them there. I don't trust you students. You always cover for each other's crimes," he said, grumbling the last part as he fixed his narrowed gaze on the eldest student.

Takami looked down at the underclassmen cowering behind him. "Really, sir, there's no need for-"

"No! You brats are all in cahoots. You go your way and I'll take these rascals to their class," he grunted, signalling to the three Gryffindors with his hand. "And what are _you_ doing here? Shouldn't you be in class too?" he asked suddenly, squinting suspiciously at Takami.

He smiled politely and raised his hands in a placating manner. "I'm free until half past two. I was heading to the library when I met them. But don't worry, Mr Filch, I'll take them to class in no time and-"

"No! You go to your bloody library and _I'll_ take them to class," stated the caretaker with an air of finality, chorused by his cat's meowing somewhere behind him.

Takami sighed and turned to smile apologetically at the younger students. "I'm sorry. Don't worry though. Filch is just grumpy, all bark and no bite. You'll be okay," he whispered as he stepped aside. The three Gryffindors shyly started walking towards the old man.

"C'mon, brats, you've been 'lost' for too long already."

Sena sent one last frightened glance over his shoulder at Takami, who waved at him with a sympathetic smile. "We'll see each other around, Sena," he said as a goodbye, turning around to head for the library.

Sena gulped and followed the scary caretaker down the corridor, his friends stiff and wary next to him.

It was a tense journey, with the old man grumbling under his breath, and the three Gryffindors sharing awkward and uncomfortable glances behind his back. After many turns and stairs, at the end of which Sena realised he hadn't been paying attention this time either, they reached the big classroom where CoMC was taught. Filch opened the door brusquely, cutting Professor Hagrid off mid-sentence. The half-giant blinked at him. "Hey, Filch, what's the matter?"

The caretaker pushed the three friends inside, who blushed bright red in shame. "Found these slackers in the corridors. They say they were lost," the man announced gruffly, waiting to see if Hagrid would punish them for their tardiness.

"Oh dear, your roommates were worried about you! C'mon, c'mon, go sit down. We were just talking about magical creatures we like, nothing important, but if you feel lost at any moment, tell me, okay? C'mon, don't just stand there! Go sit down with your friends!" the half-giant watched as the three flustered friends sat down next to their roommates. He turned to the caretaker with a smile. "Thanks a lot, Filch. Want help with anything else?"

Filch shook his head while mumbling under his breath. Without any goodbye, he just exited and closed the door behind him, cat following along. Hagrid didn't seem at all put out by the display and turned his attention back to his students. "Okay! So we were talking about… the Giant Squid, was it?"

"Yeah, I think it's awesome! Can we swim with it!?" exclaimed a tall, blond boy wearing Hufflepuff's colours.

"Ah, no, that'd be dangerous. The Squid itself wouldn't hurt anything that doesn't attack it, and it's actually very docile and playful. There are some mean creatures in the lake that may be harmful."

Sena sighed in relief when they finally sat down and people stopped paying attention to them. Riku, who was sitting in front of him, turned around to smirk at him. "Lost again, Sena?" he asked, eyes twinkling with mirth.

Sena let his head fall onto the desk in front of him. "Don't tease me, Riku. It was horrible."

"How rude, Sena!" chirped Suzuna, elbowing him jokingly. "How can you say that when you had such an awesome companion? Also, where's your sense of adventure?"

"Sena doesn't have any of that," interjected Riku in a teasing voice, winking at his childhood friend. "He wasted it all when he got lost in that amusement park when he was little."

He wanted to protest, but he really had no arguments. "It's true."

The other two snickered quietly. Monta, who had been distracted by what was being said in the classroom, joined in on the conversation and asked what they were laughing about. Before anyone could respond, Sena hurriedly said, "Nothing!" and tried to distract his friends by asking about the magical creatures that were being mentioned, some of which he had never heard of. The next two hours - well, one and a half, thanks to their unexpected tour around the castle - passed by without any trouble. It was quite enlightening to discover that creatures from fairy tales were actually real and that he would be able to meet most of them in two years. He wasn't too sure he was up for it, though.

"Well, folks, I think that's enough for today," said Hagrid.

"Yahoo! We're finally free!" shouted the blond boy from before, the one that had wanted to swim with the Giant Squid, making the whole class and even the teacher laugh.

"Yes, indeed! C'mon, go on, have fun this weekend. And don't forget to write the essay about a magical creature! Doesn't matter if you like it or hate it or whatever, okay? Just write something about it, even your opinion is okay," explained Hagrid as the students stood up and prepared to leave. "Bye-bye! Have a nice weekend! I'll be in my house behind the gardens if you need me."

"So, Sena!" Monta called, looping an arm around his slim shoulders. "What will your essay be about?"

"Erm, I'm not sure… It's not like I know much about any of them. Maybe I'll write about unicorns?"

"Ah, good, good. I don't know much either, but I think I'll write about dragons or something."

"I still can't believe those are real…" mumbled Sena, scratching his cheek.

"What? How could you not?" Monta asked, looking bewildered.

Sena rubbed the back of his head, suddenly self-conscious. "I mean, Mamori already told me about these things, but to actually see it with my own eyes… I dunno, it's a bit intimidating."

"Yeah, I know what you mean," interjected Suzuna, smiling up at him. "I've always lived between the two worlds, but sometimes there are magical things that still surprise me."

"Between the two worlds? Are you a half-blood?" Monta asked, arching an eyebrow.

She glared at him, putting her hands on her hips. "Yeah. Got a problem with that?"

"Hey, what's _your_ problem? It was just a question!" replied the boy, glaring right back. Sena gulped, fearing they would start bickering once again.

"My, my. You sure are full of energy, aren't you?" said Yamato, suddenly appearing out of nowhere and putting a hand on both their shoulders. "I'm almost envious, because I for one am beat right now."

He laughed merrily, but Sena wasn't too sure if he was being nice or mean even as the boy turned his head to smile at him. "So, Sena, did you guys find someplace interesting while being lost?"

"Well…" he started, feeling self-conscious under his gaze and not sure if it was wise to tell him about the weird disappearing room.

"We did!" yelled Monta, hooking his arm around Sena's shoulders once again. "We discovered a super-secret room!"

"Oh, how interesting. Did you get inside?"

"Of course!" Monta replied, puffing out his chest. It was clear that since he knew Yamato wanted to enter the Quidditch team, he viewed him as some sort of rival and was trying to show off in front of him.

"And? What was inside?"

At this, Monta deflated a little and shared a glance with Sena before answering. "A toilet," he mumbled.

Yamato blinked, processing what he was being told, only to laugh afterwards. "Oh my, only Hogwarts could have a super-secret toilet."

"Super-secret toilet? What are you guys talking about?" asked Riku, frowning in confusion as he caught up with them.

"Our classmates have found a secret room that, as it turns out, is a toilet."

"Have you, Sena?"

"Well, maybe...?" he answered with some hesitation. "I mean, we didn't find it, it just kind of appeared…"

"A toilet that appears out of thin air? We should ask our upperclassmen about it," concluded Riku, holding his chin in thought.

"Isn't this exciting? We haven't been here for a week and we already have a mystery on our hands! And all thanks to these guys!"

Sena stared at Yamato from the corner of his eyes. In all honesty, he didn't know what to think of him. He seemed nice enough, polite and charming, but there was some strange vibe coming from him. It made him illogically wary around the boy. He had only felt something similar that first night, watching that scary Slytherin student talking about the dangers of the castle. He knew it was silly to compare the two: Yamato wasn't scary and he had only been nice to him. So why did he feel anxious around his roommate? Did it even make sense? Should he trust his gut or was it just a silly notion?

"Sena? You with me, mate?"

Sena startled out of his thoughts, finding Monta snapping his fingers in front of his nose. He looked around and saw that they were already in front of the Fat Lady, with Riku giving her the password that would allow them to enter.

"I-I… yeah! Sorry! I just got distracted."

Monta just shook his head at him, an amused smile playing on his lips. "Really, Sena, you're something else."

He just rubbed the back of his head abashedly, looking around and realising just then that only the boys were there. "Hey, where are Suzuna and the others?" he asked as they entered the common room after Yamato and Gaou.

"Didn't you hear? The girls all went to the toilet. Girls, go figure. I dunno if they came here or to another toilet, though," Monta answered, stretching his arms lazily.

Sena just nodded, privately thinking that the two of them didn't have any right to complain about anyone's toilet habits. He looked around, noticing how full the room was. Everywhere he looked, there were upperclassmen doing homework, chatting, playing chess or reading. It was a surprisingly quiet and relaxing picture, and Sena was once again grateful he had been sorted into this House.

"Oh wow, there's no room here."

"Indeed," agreed Yamato, taking in the entire room with a quick sweep of his gaze. The five of them wordlessly decided to huddle near the stairs, not finding much space to gather anywhere else. "It'll be hard to relax with all these people here, so I think I'll try my luck in the Ravenclaw common room."

"Why Ravenclaw?" Riku asked, arching an eyebrow in curiosity. Sena wondered the same thing, even if he was reluctant to voice it. He suddenly remembered that blonde girl he had met during the sorting ceremony and wondered how she might be doing.

"I met an interesting guy on the train who I'm sure is phenomenal at Quidditch, even if I have never seen him play. Unfortunately, he got sorted into Ravenclaw, but in the end it may have been for the best: it would have been a waste for the two of us to be on the same team."

Sena noticed how the other boys tensed at those words. He didn't immediately understand why, until Riku replied with a sharp smirk, "You seem very sure that you'll make it onto the team."

Sena gulped, noticing the hostility levels in the group increasing as Yamato laughed nonchalantly. "Yes, I am. I've decided I'll play Quidditch and I will," he stated as if it were obvious. His smile was still friendly as he clapped Riku's shoulder. "I hope we get to be teammates, Kaitani. It'll be interesting, running as we are for the same position."

"Yeah," Riku replied drily. He had always been a calm and serene boy, unperturbed and unaffected by taunts, but he seemed unusually agitated. Sena supposed that entering the team and playing Quidditch was really important to him, after all. He could still remember Riku trying to explain to him the rules and plays, when they had been younger and had played together.

All of them were startled by Gaou's growling, when he just stepped forward into Yamato's personal space, looking down at him. "Takeru Yamato," he said, a feral grin displaying his white teeth and pink gums. "I really hope you aren't all bark. I'll enjoy playing against you."

The tension could almost be cut with a knife, but Yamato maintained his smile as he answered, "We'll both be on the same team, though." When Gaou raised his eyebrows to let him know what he thought of that comment, Yamato laughed. "But I see it doesn't matter to you. I may need to watch my back with you, then, Rikiya Gaou."

Sena watched nervously as Riku frowned and Monta gritted his teeth in barely contained anger. The other two didn't seem to notice or they just didn't care, busy as they were with a staring contest.

"Those guys…" he heard Monta growl, barely louder than a whisper. The black-haired boy was already opening his mouth to attract attention to himself, no doubt planning to challenge those two, but was interrupted before he got the chance.

"Oh, guys! You arrived before us!" exclaimed Suzuna, appearing out of nowhere in the middle of their circle and dissolving the tension in an instant. "Huh? What's with your faces?"

"Don't question it, Suzuna," interjected Celandine with a haughty smirk. "It's a boy thing: they can't be in each other's company for long without trying to determine who the alpha male is. They are that simple."

"My, Miss Brazewood," Yamato complained in a hurt voice, but his smile and knowing look betrayed his good humour, "do restrain that lethal tongue of yours before it turns our self-esteem to shreds!"

The girls laughed at his words, but the boys were still too caught up in the previous conversation to care. Gaou, seeing that the current conversation wouldn't hold any interest for him, climbed up the stairs to their shared room without a word. Riku quickly excused himself and went back out. Suzuna blinked after them. "What's wrong with those two?"

Sena was quick to answer. "Nothing. They are probably just tired from classes and want to relax in their own way."

"Yeah, but still…"

"Well, boys and girls," called Celandine, voice louder than it needed to be. "Areebah and I are going to find Julie to ask her about some things. You coming?"

Leilani shook her head. "Thanks, but Linnea and I were planning on doing our homework now, so we have the rest of the weekend free. You're welcome to join us, if you want."

Everyone quickly declined the offer, making Linnea laugh. "We are the only masochists here, Lei," she commented as they took to the stairs.

"I must get going, I was planning on meeting a friend at their common room," said Yamato, waving at them as he headed for the door. "Have a nice afternoon!"

"Man, what a bunch of dull guys," Celandine muttered, turning her attention to Suzuna. "What about you? You coming?"

The petite brunette bit her lip in thought, glancing back at Sena and Monta. "Are you guys doing something?"

Both blinked and looked at each other. Monta shrugged, while Sena rubbed the back of his head. "We haven't really thought of anything," Sena admitted, letting his glance wander. It stopped on a dark-haired, fit boy that was writing something on a neat piece of parchment, and Sena suddenly remembered something. "But now that I think of it, I sort of meant to visit Mamori to see if she could help me with something."

"Miss Anezaki?" repeated Monta, voice already affected and love-struck.

"Oh? Is this the girl you told me about?"

"Yes, I have lots of trouble writing with a quill, so I was wondering if she could help me with that," Sena explained, a bit self-conscious at the stare he was receiving from Celandine.

"Is this a muggleborn thing or are you just a bit… slow?"

Suzuna jumped at the insult, frowning at her. "Geez, calm your horses. Muggles don't use quills anymore and their current method is much easier, so it's normal he doesn't know how to use one."

Celandine frowned at her, but glanced at Areebah to see what she had to say. At her nod, the blonde girl pouted and looked back at Sena, looking chastised and uncomfortable as she muttered her apology.

Changing subjects, Suzuna said, "But Sena, if you go see Mamori, I'm coming with you!"

Sena smiled. "Okay, then. She's in Ravenclaw, so we can try finding the tower on our own."

She pulled a face at that. "You think it's wise?"

"Well, anyway! Do whatever you want. Areebah and I are gonna look for Julie," Celandine exclaimed, grabbing her friend by the elbow and tugging. They almost bumped into a student that was heading for the stairs, arms full of books. "Oh, sorry."

"Nah, my fault," she said, trying to blow her dishevelled hair out of her face without success. Giving up, she peered down at them. "You firsties?"

"Yep."

"I don't remember being that small when I was in first year."

"Hey!" Celandine protested, frowning up at her.

"Sorry, sorry. Didn't mean to be rude," the upperclassman apologised, regaling them with a crooked smile. "Do you need any help?"

The blonde first year just glared at her, so it was Areebah who spoke up, voice shy. "We were looking for Julie, a fourth year. Do you know where she is?"

The upperclassman pushed her glasses up her nose in thought. "Julie? Sawai, you mean? The one who's always with that funny, obnoxious guy, right?" Figuring she was referring to Koutarou, they nodded. "I think she's in class. All fourth years have a really bad timetable on Fridays, if I remember correctly. She'll probably have class until half past five."

"Ravenclaw too?" Suzuna asked, earning a nod from the older girl. "Aw, Sena. We can't go visiting Mamori now. We need to wait."

"So all of you wanted to visit fourth years? Blimey, that's bad luck. I suppose you'll have to entertain yourselves until they finish, if it's so important. I'd love to play with you, but as you can see," she said, raising her arms a bit to showcase the books she was carrying, "I'm a bit busy. Piece of advice? Enjoy your first years, 'cause the seventh is _hell_. See you around!"

They watched as she left as quickly as she had arrived, muttering things to herself the whole time.

"I hope that's just her and that not all seniors are like that," stated Celandine, looking after her with a frown on her fair eyebrows.

"Probably. She seemed a little bit off her rockers," Monta said in agreement.

"So… what do we do now?"

"We can always play cards," Suzuna offered.

"Yeah, but where? This is really full."

Suzuna looked around in thought and then grinned mischievously. "No one has any objection to playing on the floor, right?"

.

.

"Uhm… Could you repeat that again?"

"The beginning of eternity, the end of time and space, the beginning of every end and the end of every place," the knocker repeated, as impossible as it had been the first time.

Sena looked back at his friends with a hopeless expression on his face, but his friends weren't doing much better either.

"Do Ravenclaws really need to solve this to be able to enter? And here I thought having to learn a password every week was complicated," Monta said in awe, scratching his brow in thought.

"This sounds like something out of Star Trek or something, right, Sena?" Suzuna chimed in, holding her chin and tilting her head to the side. Sena had to agree that it sounded like something out of a Sci-Fi franchise, but he knew it couldn't be the case. They were in Hogwarts after all, so it should have something to do with magic, right?

"Maybe it's referring to God?" he asked, scratching his head self-consciously. "Or maybe there's some magical creature than can be compared to a god? I don't know very well."

"Sena," Suzuna chastised, sounding very amused, "magical creatures aren't Pokemon, you know? They can't do absolutely everything, like create time and destroy space and all that."

"What are you guys talking about? Pokemon, what's that? A muggle thing?"

Sena laughed nervously. "Ah, I knew it, it's not that… Yeah, Pokemon are some fictional characters of a game. They are very famous."

"Huh. Never heard of them."

"You wouldn't."

They had played cards with Celandine and Areebah until the fourth years had come back, looking tired and a bit grumpy, except for Julie and Koutarou, who had seemed as lively as always. The girls had quickly stood up and approached her, bombarding her with questions and comments which she'd listened to with a smile. Sena and Monta had been a bit more hesitant to intrude, but Koutarou had quickly made them feel welcome too. It was amazing how friendly and nice to be around they were, Julie with her patience and smiles, and Koutarou with his jokes and funny antics.

Then a roommate of Julie's had approached her to inform her she was leaving and would probably stay away until curfew. With a knowing glint in her eyes, Julie had asked her where she was going. Apparently, the girl was meeting her girlfriend near the Ravenclaw Tower, as she'd explained in a completely unbothered tone. Suzuna had instantly jumped in, asking her if she could take the three of them there. The older student had readily agreed and they'd followed her out of the common room, bidding their friends goodbye.

Unfortunately, the older student had left them before reaching the entrance to the Ravenclaw Tower, and while they had found it without trouble, they were stuck outside because they weren't able to solve the riddle.

"I suppose the Big Bang isn't a valid answer either?" tried Suzuna, staring at the unmovable eagle knocker, waiting for it to move. When it didn't, she threw her arms in the air. "I give up! How does anyone have enough patience to do this every time they want to enter?"

Sena had to agree. It was no wonder he hadn't been sorted into Ravenclaw, because he had the feeling he would always have slept outside, unable to enter the common room.

"Sena?"

He turned around at the sound of his name, watching a tall, bespectacled upperclassman approach the entrance. "Takami!"

"Oh, Monta and Suzuna too. What are you guys doing here?"

"We are trying to enter, but we can't solve the riddle," replied Suzuna, crossing her arms and pointing to the knocker with a tilt of her head.

Takami followed her gaze and smiled a bit. "Oh my, a riddle, huh? You aren't very lucky today, are you? Usually, the knocker just poses an open question, where any answer is valid as long as it's thought through, but sometimes it gives us riddles. You came on a bad day, it seems," he explained, asking the bronze eagle to repeat itself.

"Aw, man! Really?" complained Monta, closing his eyes with a pained expression, making Sena laugh softly.

"The beginning of eternity, the end of time and space, the beginning of every end and the end of every place."

"Oh, that's a tricky one," Takami conceded, seemingly deep in thought as he pushed his glasses up his nose. "I'm going to say the letter 'e'."

The three Gryffindors watched in awe as the door slowly opened and Takami signalled at them to enter.

"But, how? A letter? How can the answer be a letter?" asked Monta, scowling at the eagle as he passed it.

"Well, eternity starts with 'e'. Time and space both end with 'e', same as place, and end also begins with 'e'."

"Huh. I wouldn't have guessed it in a thousand years."

Takami laughed. "I'm sure you'd have realised it sooner or later. By the way, did you reach your CoMC class in the end? Yeah? That's good. Oh," he suddenly stopped, as if something had just dawned on him. "What are you doing here again? Can I help you?"

Sena was busy staring around the Ravenclaw common room. It was different from their own; it looked bigger and cleaner. It seemed a bit cold to Sena, with only books and armchairs to fill the space, but he supposed it'd be just as cosy as their own for someone who enjoyed reading.

"We are looking for Mamori. She's in fourth year," Suzuna answered instead, clasping her hands behind her back as she waltzed behind Takami.

"Oh, Miss Anezaki. I know her. I'm not sure she's here, though. We can ask around."

They ended up asking three different people in the common room. The first was reading while lying upside down in an armchair, head dangling over the seat's end, but when they asked, he admitted that he hadn't really been paying attention to people. The second was hunched over a table, drawing intricate patterns on a piece of parchment. Sena didn't know if they just had an aesthetic purpose or if they were some sort of magical runes, but he had to admit they were beautiful. Unfortunately, the artist was so immersed in her task that she just shushed them when they tried to ask her, not even giving them the chance to speak. The Gryffindors were a bit put out, but Takami only sighed in mild annoyance. In just that moment, a student doing crosswords called them over and told them that Mamori was in fact in the fourth year boy's room.

After thanking the student, whose gender Sena honestly couldn't determine, they reached a half-hidden entrance behind the statue of a woman and climbed up to the dormitories. Takami stopped in front of the correct door and knocked a few times, not waiting for a reply before opening it.

The room was empty except for the two people sitting on the bed in the corner, surrounded by books and scrolls. One of them was clearly Mamori, with her soft chestnut hair framing her concentrated face. The other was a gangly, delicate-looking boy who had his nose buried in a book about spells. Mamori was the first to raise her head from her reading, surprise evident on her features. "Wha... Takami? What is i- Oh!" her confused expression quickly broke into a big smile as she spotted him. "Sena!" she called, standing up and all but running to his side, pulling him into a crushing hug.

"I'm sorry to intrude, but these guys wanted to meet you badly," Takami explained, but seeing that Mamori wasn't paying attention, he turned to the boy, who had politely stood up to greet them. "I hope we didn't interrupt anything too important?"

"Ah, no, don't worry, Takami," the boy answered in a kind voice. "We were just reviewing last year's lecture notes and planning what we'll need for our Charms course."

When Mamori finally let Sena go from her loving embrace, she noticed the other first years. "Oh, Tarou! Nice to see you again! And… I'm sorry, I don't think we've met?"

"Hi! I'm Suzuna! You must be Mamori. Sena has told me about you."

"Has he?" the elder girl repeated in wonder, turning her gaze towards her brother figure. "I'm glad he finally has someone to talk to this freely. Oh! Where are my manners!" she exclaimed, grabbing her classmate and pulling him closer to the first years. "This is Manabu Yukimitsu, a good friend. Yuki, meet Sena, Tarou and Suzuna."

"Pleased to meet you," Yukimitsu said, nodding to them with a soft smile.

They talked for a while, conversation coming more easily than Sena would have expected. Yukimitsu was polite, kind and soft-mannered, and Sena felt comfortable in his presence. He didn't know what his friends were thinking exactly, but they seemed to get along quite well with both upperclassmen. They talked about nothing and everything, going from school subjects to muggle sports. There was a point when Takami tried to bid his goodbyes and leave, but he was somehow roped into conversation and was unable to do so.

"I must confess, Sena," Mamori suddenly said, tapping her chin, "I'm a bit surprised you came at all. With how forgetful you are, I thought I would have to hunt you down again."

Sena laughed nervously, tapping the points of his index fingers together. "Well… now that you mention it… I wanted to ask you something."

She blinked, but didn't seem at all bothered by the confession. "Do tell."

"I'm having trouble with the quill. I just can't write a paragraph without smearing the ink all over the page. Can you help me? Do you have any pens or tips or something?"

Mamori nodded her understanding, not at all surprised. "I was planning to ask you about that. Didn't I tell you to bring pens to Hogwarts?"

"With all the nerves and all, I kinda… forgot about it."

She frowned down at him, lips pursed. "Oh, Sena! What am I going to do with you?"

"Well," Takami started, pushing his glasses up his nose as everyone turned to stare at him, "if it's pens that he needs, you know where he can get some."

"Where?" asked Suzuna, at the same time as Mamori unconsciously pulled Sena closer to her, shouting in denial.

"No! I won't have Sena coming close to that… that… that _jerk_!"

Sena gasped in shock, and not just due to having her breasts pressed to his face and making it difficult to breathe. They had known each other practically all their lives and never before had he heard Mamori insult another person with something harder than 'silly'. Aside from that, he still had no idea who and what they were talking about.

"Come now, Anezaki, I know that your relationship with him has always been… rocky at best, but you know as well as I do that if you are looking for something in this castle, he's the best option at finding it. Especially if it's muggle stuff," Takami said, face serious as he regarded his fellow Ravenclaw student.

"I _know_ that, but you know how he is! I don't want Sena anywhere near him. The first night was bad enough."

"First night?" Suzuna wondered, joining in on their conversation. "Wait, are we talking about that Hiruma guy? What does he have to do with pens?"

Both Ravenclaws turned to her, as if just remembering her presence, but Yukimitsu beat them to the explanation. "Hiruma is the student responsible for the stunt your first night at Hogwarts, but he is also the one in control of the muggle market."

"Muggle market?"

"Yeah, it's a kind of black market, if you will. You can find anything there: Smint, Mentos, pens, pencils, paints, tampons, comics, earbuds, earphones… I heard that you can even find cigarettes!" Mamori explained, gesturing with her hands and pulling a face at the last word. "And Hiruma is both the smuggler and the dealer. He has absolutely no morals!"

"But isn't that good?" Sena interjected, even though he was scared out of his wits by the blond Slytherin. "He allows people to get things that they couldn't otherwise."

"Yeah, but he rips people off. You want it? You're indebted to him for life. You stay away from him, Sena, you hear me? Don't even get close!"

"Now, Mamori, I know you've always clashed with him, but I thought you had more or less settled things these past years?" Takami commented, holding his chin in thought.

"I do respect him as a student and as a fellow wizard. However, he is a horrible, horrible person and I won't let him get away with doing everything he wants," Mamori stated with a sharpness that surprised Sena.

They stayed silent for some seconds, until Takami coughed lightly. "Well, that's your right, I suppose. But the problem is still there. Are you going to teach Sena how to write with a quill over the weekend? I don't think it's something that can be learnt in a short time."

Sena gulped. He was tired enough from the short yet intense class days he had had. He really didn't appreciate having to spend the whole weekend learning how to use the most complicated writing instrument he had ever held. Wizards had the strangest of magical devices; couldn't they have invented a quill that wrote on its own or something like that?

"Oh, I know!" Mamori's sudden, excited yell made him jump a bit and he blinked in confusion when she left the room in what could be qualified as a run. "I think I have a couple of pens in my room. I'll go get them. Wait here!"

The five of them sat there for some seconds, not really knowing what to do and with Monta still swooning softly. To no one's surprise, it was Suzuna who broke the silence. "So Yukkii," she started cheerfully. The boy blinked at the nickname, but didn't say anything. "What else can you tell us about this Hiruma guy?"

"Ah, no, well." He waved his hands, suddenly looking a bit uncomfortable. "It's not like I've dealt with him many times, either. Takami or Mamori know much more about him than I do. I just know that he is the best source of otherwise unattainable objects and, in some cases, information, but his methods are a bit… unorthodox."

"For all her blatant dislike of him, Mamori is right to warn you," Takami said, a rare smirk on his lips even though his tone was serious. "He may be just another student, like everybody else, but to the untrained eye, he is like a devil. Do take care."

Monta and Sena gulped, totally intent on following the advice, while Suzuna clasped her hands in front of herself. "Sounds cool…" Sena heard her whisper.

"Found them!" Mamori came back at that same moment, handing Sena three blue pens. "I found two new ones, but the third is already started. You don't mind, do you?"

"Thanks, Mamori!" Sena said with a big smile, hugging her middle.

"Now, let's go back to your common room," Mamori said, taking the first years by surprise. "You came, but Riku didn't. How dare he? I'll go lecture him about good manners right now!" she explained, trying to pull off a stern expression, but her tone was playful and it made Sena laugh. She turned to her friend, looking a bit apologetic. "Sorry, Yuki. Do you mind if we continue this tomorrow?"

"Oh, no, don't worry about it. My eyes are a bit sore, anyway, so I think I'll rest for a bit," he assured, rubbing an eyelid with the heel of his hand as if to prove a point. "We can finish this tomorrow, if you want."

"That'd be great. Takami, thanks for helping Sena and his friends."

"Don't mention it," the tall upperclassman said, smiling kindly. "It was my pleasure. Now I think I'll take my leave, if you don't mind. See you around, guys!"

When he left, the rest decided to follow his example and get to the Gryffindor common room as soon as possible to see if Riku was still there. They invited Yukimitsu to come along, but he politely declined. On the way there, Mamori told them stories about the castle and some of its ghosts, for which even Sena was grateful, because she had a talent for making tales sound less frightening and more interesting than they would be if told by any other person.

All in all, Sena couldn't think of a better start to his first weekend at a magical school.

.

.

 _Hogwarts, September 2_ _nd_ _2016_

 _Dear Mom,_

 _I wasn't sure how I was supposed to write this, because it's the first time I'm writing a real letter. I had thought of writing as I do in WhatsApp, but Mamori told me not to. Instead, I'm trying to remember what we learnt in class about writing letters, so I hope it's okay this way._

 _The trip here was long and boring, but I made a good friend there. Can you imagine? My first friend, on the way here already! His name's (_ _Monta )_ _Tarou and he's great._

 _I also have another friend, Suzuna. You'd like her, she's all active and chatty. She's really nice and funny._

 _The rest of my classmates are nice too, but these two are the ones I'm closest to._

 _The castle is huge! (_ _It looks like Dracula's in that film we)_ _And there are ghosts and moving paintings and talking statues! It's all super scary and super exciting at the same time. We have been to most of our classes already. They seem quite difficult, especially for me, but I'll try my best._

 _How is everything back home? (_ _Are you)_ _Mamori told me that you could ask her mom if you have trouble sending back a letter. You can also send it back with one of their owls._

 _I'll write to you again next week if nothing happens until then. I miss you, Mom, but I kind of like it here. I'm happy I could come._

 _XOXO_

 _Sena_

 **Author's note: I'll repeat it again just in case you don't remember.** **When you see this ( whatever written here) in the letter at the end of the chapter, read it as if it had been crossed out, okay? Since Fanfiction doesn't allow it I had to write it like this. Sorry!  
**

 **Thanks for reading!**


	7. 4- Let's go clubbing!

**Many thanks to Shadowpaintress**

 ** _Chapter 4:_ LET'S GO CLUBBING!**

"A moment of silence, please," the headmistress' voice rang loud and clear through the Great Hall, quieting the students' lively Saturday morning conversations. "I hope you all had a nice start to the school year, both veterans and newcomers alike. As most of you know, next week the clubs will resume and will be available for everyone who wants to join. Your Head of House will give you a list, and by the end of the weekend, you'll have to notify them of your choices. It is not mandatory to join a club, but I firmly recommend it. Thank you for your attention. You can continue with your breakfast."

As soon as she sat back down, the chattering slowly increased in volume again. Musashi watched the first years at his table talk excitedly over each other, while discussing what little they knew about clubs. He couldn't help but remember with nostalgia how he'd felt during his first days in Hogwarts. He turned back to slowly stirring his tea, not even blinking when the plate of food that had lain in front of him disappeared whole.

"Someone is hungry today," he commented fondly, turning to look at Kurita with a smile.

His friend didn't even pause in his incredibly fast pace of food inhalation. Musashi watched with some admittedly morbid fascination as Kurita swallowed two whole slices of toast, before taking a break long enough to speak. "It's because I'm nervous."

He frowned, confused. "Nervous? Why are you nervous? Did something happen?"

"The Quidditch tryouts!" Kurita cried, trembling for a few seconds before resuming his gigantic breakfast.

"But those don't start until almost two weeks from now. Why are you nervous now?"

"Since when does he need a reason to eat like a fucking waste processor?" a flat voice said from his other side.

He turned to Hiruma. "Well, that may be true, but I still find it unhealthy for him to start worrying this early."

Hiruma huffed, slowly turning the page of the book he was reading. "Better to have him eat and explode than hide under his bed again," he said, cocking his eyebrow. "Right, fucking fatty?"

Kurita nodded enthusiastically, grinning lips smeared with syrup, while Musashi shook his head. "Okay, if you say so."

"Of course we fucking do."

Dropping the spoon on his plate, he brought the teacup to his lips. He blew on it for a few seconds and took a sip. Too much milk. Sighing, he spared a glance for Hiruma's plate, raising his eyebrows at the sight. "Shouldn't you eat a bit more than that? You haven't even started and those things wouldn't feed a baby," he said, pointing at the lone biscuits sitting on his friend's untouched plate; barely even four.

Hiruma didn't raise his nose from the book to answer, nonchalantly turning a page. "If you're feeling your biological clock ticking, buy a pet or adopt, fucking old man, but stop fucking mothering me."

"You are enough of a pet, though. I don't need more stray cats to look after," he commented, taking a longer sip of his tea to hide the curve of his mouth from his friend.

This time, Hiruma did raise his gaze to look at him, mock surprise planted all over his face. "Blimey, grandpa just sassed me. Where's Kobanzame when you need him."

Far from being insulted, Musashi just chuckled. "Probably recruiting future journalists among our peers. You know, doing something good for our community. You should follow his example sometime."

Hiruma snorted at that, finally closing the book with a deliberate thud and turning to his meagre breakfast. Musashi too put his cup down and grabbed a slice of toast. He watched both of his friends eat for a while, so completely opposite that it was almost funny. Finally, Kurita seemed to deem his breakfast over, patting his belly contentedly while surrounded by a worrying number of empty plates. Hiruma, on the other hand, had barely finished his first biscuit, busy looking around for something worth his interest.

"So, do you have plans for today?" Musashi asked the both of them, adding a bit more tea to his cup.

Kurita shook his head, while Hiruma remained silent for some seconds. "We could go practice with our brooms. It's been a while since I rode one," he proposed, putting down his half-eaten biscuit.

Kurita immediately beamed at them. "Oh yes, yes! Let's do that! Is that okay, Musashi? Is it?"

Musashi nodded. "Of course! I'm a bit rusty myself, so it'll be good exercise." As Kurita shivered in excitement, he met Hiruma's eyes and raised a knowing eyebrow. The only reason Hiruma had come up with such a plan was so that Kurita would gain confidence and forget his nervousness for the tryouts, he knew that. Probably the three of them knew it, even Kurita, but it wasn't Hiruma's style to outright say things.

He shook his head when his blond friend only smirked in return. It was obvious he was in a good mood. He hoped it lasted for a while, because after last year, the guy deserved it.

.

.

Kuroki, Toganou and he had had breakfast at the Gryffindor table, huddled in a corner where no one would bother them. Unlike these past two days, the Hall had been a colourful mess of students casually dressed and sitting wherever they'd liked. It seemed to be some sort of unspoken agreement that students would sit orderly during the week, but were free of bounds on the weekends. At least that was the conclusion Juumonji had reached, seeing as hardly anyone had been in their correct place.

After finishing their meal, they had left the Great Hall to wander through the labyrinthine corridors of the castle. They hadn't run into anyone, which was a bit surprising but appreciated. They had talked about everything and anything, had made jokes and had commented on their boring classes. The usual. They were beginning to get bored, though. After all, there's only so long you can talk and walk.

"So what now?" he asked, crossing his arms behind his head.

"Yeah, what now? This is getting boring," agreed Kuroki, blowing his long bangs out of his face.

"Well, I've got a couple of manga in the dorm. We could go get them," Toganou offered.

"Haven't you read them all already?"

"Yeah, I'm only missing one. But you haven't, right? I don't mind reading them again."

Juumonji and Kuroki exchanged glances and shrugged. They weren't as much into manga as Toganou was, but they definitely didn't mind. At the very least, they would kill a couple of hours reading and listening to their friend's excited explanations about the characters and story.

They turned around and went back, having passed the stairs a while ago. They managed to reach them without getting lost, which was always a constant fear for any student, because the castle's floorplan seemed to have been done either by a sadistic bastard or a five-year-old.

They impatiently waited for the staircase to stop moving, before climbing it.

"You know, I've been wondering," Kuroki began, giving the stink eye to the staircases. "At what point did the freaking founders think, 'Hey, you know what our newly built school needs? Moving bloody staircases! Otherwise it's too mainstream', and why didn't anyone stop them?"

The other two laughed, but couldn't help but agree.

"I'm sure it was only one of them who suggested it and then the rest just agreed," Toganou said, winking at Juumonji to continue with the joke.

"Oh yeah, I bet it was Ravenclaw. Only Gryffindor and her took their dorms into the towers, but this seems a more Ravenclaw thing to do. Requires more memory and intelligence than bravery."

"Right! So Ravenclaw was all like, 'My students should be able to handle brainy questions to enter their dorms _and_ moving staircases to get to class, otherwise they are not worthy.' And then…" Dropping the high-pitched voice he had forced on to imitate the famous witch, Toganou continued with his impersonations, making his voice deep and raspy next. "Gryffindor went, 'Hell yeah! I agree! To get to class, my students will need to do…uhm ... _parkour_!"

Kuroki, while still looking quite disgruntled, couldn't help but laugh. "You sure they didn't all agree to this crap? Seems like something they'd do."

"Well, Hufflepuff's and Slytherin's dorms are both downstairs, aren't they?" Juumonji replied, arching an eyebrow. "I don't think it was the great view that did it."

They all laughed at that. They finally reached the top of the stairs and went straight for the Fat Lady's picture. Kuroki told her the password without a care for being overheard, much to her displeasure, but she let them pass without a word. There were a couple of students lingering around the common room, but they didn't pay them any attention as they went directly for the first years' room.

"The Gryffindor dorm is very different from the Slytherin one," Juumonji commented, looking around as Toganou knelt in front of his bag and dug around for his beloved manga.

"Different how?" Kuroki asked, raising an eyebrow. "Aside from the colours, I mean. Honestly, I don't even like yellow. Why is it everywhere?"

"It's supposed to be gold," Juumonji corrected absentmindedly, reading the cover of the manga Toganou had passed him. "Anyway, it's not just the colours, Captain Obvious. It's the whole place. I dunno how to explain it, but it's totally different."

"Maybe 'cause they're a freaking dungeon and a freaking castle tower? I mean, I'm no architect, but there's gotta be some differences," Kuroki pointed out.

"Well, yeah, I guess. But, I mean, this place looks bigger and more open and bright. The Slytherin dorm is darker, but it looks cosier. And the sights are funny; you feel like you are in a fishbowl."

"If you say so," Kuroki said sceptically, evidently surprised that Juumonji would take notice of things like that. Shrugging, he took the comic out of his friend's hands. "Oh, this one's new. Never heard of it."

"You don't know about One Punch Man? Have you been living under a rock?" Toganou asked in a deeply offended voice, making Juumonji laugh.

"Hey, calm down, nerd. Not all of us are as obsessed as you are about this, 'kay?" Kuroki snapped back, but they knew it was in good humour.

"Who are you calling a nerd? Look who's talking, Mr If-I-don't-speak-about-Infamous-at-least-once-a-day-I'll-explode."

"Woah, woah, don't you dare say anything about Infamous. It's the best videogame ever."

Juumonji took the manga back with an amused smirk. "You said the same about Kingdom Hearts."

"That was just a phase, 'kay? This is different. It's just awesome that you are free to do what you want, be hero or villain or both. And the electricity powers are just wicked. There's nothing better and no one'll convince me otherwise."

Juumonji and Toganou shared a knowing glance. "Whatever you say. Let's see how long you'll last until you obsess over a different game," teased Juumonji. Kuroki just stuck his tongue out.

"So are we staying here? Or somewhere else?" Toganou asked, sitting down on the floor to close his bag more comfortably.

"Here's okay, I think, as long as nobody comes to bother us," Juumonji said, sitting down next to Toganou.

Kuroki grumbled a bit about sitting on the floor when there were beds near, but ended up sitting on Toganou's other side anyway. "So enlighten us, oh great otaku."

Toganou launched into an excited explanation about the manga they had chosen to read, introducing them to the basics of the story, the characters and what had happened in the previous tomes. Juumonji and Kuroki, for their part, asked questions and made comments, all the way snickering and teasing their friend for the flawed manga logic that only a fan would be able to overlook. Toganou didn't really get offended, but he did argue back with a passion that his friends were fond of.

They all had their obsessions: Toganou's were manga and anime, Kuroki's were videogames and Juumonji's were sci-fi tv shows like Dr Who, Star Trek and Firefly. They always shared and tried to bring the others to their side. As a result, the three of them had ended up liking all three things, even though it was easy to see who was the specialist in each topic. It was Toganou who always brought in new manga or criticised the anime adaptations. It was always Kuroki who won their games and who was always saving up to buy the next one. It had been Juumonji who had been offended by the Hollywood adaptations of the Star Trek saga. It had been that way since the three of them had met in that park next to Toganou's house all those years ago, while Juumonji had been visiting a muggle town for the first time, and they planned on keeping it that way forever. Being in Hogwarts made it impossible for them to indulge in their favourite hobbies, but they'd take what they could.

Right now, Juumonji couldn't think of anything better to do on a Saturday morning than read manga with his best friends. Spending most of his day and night surrounded by strangers he didn't care about was stressful, but he seemed to be getting his footing back. He just had to survive those long, lonely hours, so he could be with his friends again. He was capable of that much.

They spent what seemed like minutes but were probably several hours like that, finishing one manga after the other. They were laughing loudly at a ridiculous scene even Toganou wouldn't dare defend, when the room's door opened and a serious-looking boy entered. The boy was already at his bed when he noticed them. "Oh, sorry. I'll be on my way in a moment," he said, bending down in front of his chest and rummaging through it.

The group of friends had fallen silent and were glaring at him. At one point, they glanced at each other and decided to leave. They silently stood up, grabbed their manga and left without a word. The boy watched with a raised eyebrow, but didn't comment.

"Dammit, is there nowhere peaceful where we can stay without someone bothering us," Kuroki muttered, carding a hand through his longish hair in irritation.

The common room was full of people, so their feet automatically took them outside the tower and into the hallways. With a silent exchange of glances and a shrug, they started walking with no clear destination in mind. They made small talk as they wandered around, only stopping when they found a spot where they could sit down comfortably. Just like in the dorm, Toganou sat in the middle of the wide windowsill, manga in hand. Juumonji sat to his left with his legs crossed, while Kuroki sat to his right, Indian style. "So, you were saying?"

"Right," Toganou opened the manga on the page they had been reading, a smile easily reappearing on his face. "So, okay, then this guy appears and-"

"No way! That's a dude!? It looks like a girl!" Kuroki complained, pointing at said character.

Juumonji smirked at his friend's flabbergasted expression, patting his shoulder from behind Toganou. "Welcome to the anime world."

"Oh c'mon! And 'he' is called Sonic? Really? What kinda joke is this?"

Toganou just raised his eyebrows, smirking teasingly. "It's because of this," he said, opening a page at the end, where the character was fighting a monster with a spinning kick.

At that, Kuroki jabbed a finger at them, scowling. "Ah, no. No, no, no. That's just a rip-off. There's only one Sonic that spins and he's blue and spiky."

The other two just snickered at their friend, who huffed and settled down again, trying to keep the sulking pout out of his face.

"C'mon, Kouji, he doesn't appear again until the end, anyway." Returning to the page they had been reading, Toganou tried to appease his brunet friend. "And look, you'll like this guy. He's-"

"Hey, you three!" A voice shouted down the hall.

Juumonji and his friends snapped their heads towards the sound, frowning and closing the manga with a loud thud. An older student was approaching them and, once he was near enough, they could see his prefect badge. They shared a moody look between them, before glaring up at the upperclassman.

"Why are you still here?" The prefect pointed at them with a flourish, his annoyance clear on his face. "You should be in your common rooms by now."

"Why?" Juumonji asked, frown deepening.

The upperclassman stared at them with raised eyebrows, then huffed and shook his head, muttering to himself. Crossing his arms, he began talking to them as if they were naughty five-year-olds. "You need to be in your respective common rooms for the talk about clubs. Weren't you listening to the headmistress during breakfast?"

Kuroki gritted his teeth at the tone and was about to snap, but Juumonji shushed him quickly. He didn't feel like making trouble right now, not when they were enjoying their slow morning just like they had been doing during the summer. "We aren't interested in any clubs," he said, hoping the upperclassman would be satisfied with that and leave them alone. No such luck.

"It doesn't matter. All first years must attend," the prefect said, flicking his long, dark hair over his shoulder. Gesturing with his arm towards them, he added, "And who knows, maybe you'll find something interesting to do, instead of lurking in the hallways like this."

Kuroki, by far the most hot-headed of the three, visibly bristled. "What the hell? Leave us alone, you prick!"

The slim upperclassman levelled an unimpressed stare at him, raising an eyebrow. "I assure you there's nothing I'd like more. However, as a prefect, I must insist. You are required to come and it's my duty to make sure you _do_ come," he said in that tone grown-ups used on infants. He then fixed his stare on Juumonji and hummed. "You are a Slytherin, aren't you? I think I remember seeing you around. Fine then, you come with me, while you two go to your respective common rooms."

"Weren't you listening? We aren't going anywhere!" Juumonji snapped, getting annoyed with the prick's antics. What did it matter if three guys didn't attend? People would be none the wiser. They knew they weren't going to apply for any club, so they should be able to skip that boring explanation.

This time, it was the upperclassman's face that twitched with annoyance. "Don't make this more difficult than it needs to be. Just come, sit around for ten minutes and then you are free

to keep reading those picture books," he said, gesturing loosely at them.

There was something in the way he said it that didn't sit well with the three friends, who scowled deeply at him. Juumonji balled his hands into fists. Who did this prick think he was to criticise them? He knew he shouldn't care about what other people said about them, and he didn't for the most part, but when they started criticising them to his face, he couldn't help but get angry. It was the reason why they never hung out in his house when his father was there.

Kuroki didn't wait to calm down before answering hotly. "Are you deaf? We said no!"

The slim prefect massaged the bridge of his nose with his thumb and forefinger, looking more irritated by the second. "Oh Merlin, give me strength," he muttered, glaring at them. "You are being unbelievably childish and I don't have time to be mothering you. Just go already. It will only be fifteen minutes at most!"

"Just piss off!" Kuroki shouted, standing up and taking his wand out. For a moment, the four of them froze. Juumonji had explained to his muggleborn friends that taking their wand out was pretty much like picking a fight, and apparently, Kuroki was thinking of intimidating the prefect. Juumonji wasn't sure they could even win if it came to a duel, but there was nothing they could do now. Cursing, he too took his wand out and pointed it at the prefect, as did Toganou. The upperclassman, for his part, looked equal parts bewildered and offended, but didn't make a threatening move. He actually looked ready to tell them off.

"Expelliarmus!"

Juumonji gasped in surprise as their wands forcefully flew out of their hands, landing several metres away. The four of them turned to find two upperclassmen approaching them. A tall, bulking student put his wand away, while his shorter companion smirked smugly. The prefect seemed to recognise them, as he crossed his arms and expectantly waited for them to come near. Meanwhile, Juumonji was berating himself for not seeing such an obvious spell coming, while keeping an eye on the newcomers.

"Harao, what's going on here?" the big one asked, glaring at them all. Juumonji had to admit he was intimidating as hell. With his towering height, his broad shoulders and overdeveloped muscles, shaved head and hard stare, he looked more like a WWE wrestler than a student.

"I'm having trouble convincing these stubborn boys to come to the speech about clubs, which is about to start at any moment now," the prefect, Harao, explained, pointing loosely in their direction. Clicking his tongue, he added quietly, "And as a prefect, I need to be there."

Juumonji stepped closer to his friends, glancing at them to see their reactions. Kuroki was still furious, if a bit wary of the hulk of a student and his sidekick. Toganou had a resigned air about him, probably because, out of the three of them, he was most keen to avoid useless confrontations, but his scowl was as fierce as Kuroki's. Juumonji felt a bit more confident when he glared up at the huge guy, knowing that he had his friends just behind him.

The shorter, round upperclassman snickered, fixing them with a smug look. "Look, the little babies think they are intimidating. How cute of them."

"What did you say, bastard!?" they replied in unison, earning more laughter.

"Enough, Kasamatsu," the tallest student commanded. His friend kept silent, but his annoying smirk was still present. "Why don't you want to attend? It's a short, informative speech and it's obligatory."

Juumonji glared up at the massive student. "We don't want to enter any club, so there's no need for boring speeches."

The prefect clicked his tongue again, throwing his arms in the air. "See what I have to deal with, Mamoru? We've been at it for several minutes now, but they just don't listen!"

The huge guy, apparently called Mamoru, sighed and crossed his massive arms. "Well, no one has time for that now. You three," he called, pointing at them, "pick up your wands and come with us. What House are you from?"

Juumonji turned around and went to retrieve the wands, while his friends glared at the upperclassmen silently. Finally, Kuroki grumbled, "Gryffindor."

"The three of you?"

"No, the blond one is a Slytherin," Harao explained, tilting his head in Juumonji's direction.

Mamoru nodded. "Then you take him to our common room, while we take these two to Gryffindor's to make sure they get there."

"Thank you for your help, Mamoru, Niinobu. Dealing with the youngest students is the worst thing out of all my duties."

"Hey! We didn't say we were going anywhere!" Kuroki said, still holding his ground. Juumonji stood with all three wands, not sure what they should be doing. Toganou looked back and forth between the two of them, looking at Juumonji as if he was waiting for him to say something. He didn't really get the chance to answer, because Harao walked up to him, carefully taking his friends' wands from him and handing them back to their owners. Meanwhile, Kasamatsu was snickering again, while Mamoru threw an unamused glare at Kuroki.

"Look, Banba, the little babies are still at it! Reminds me of a certain someone. You think we've got ourselves a new 'blond devil'?" asked Kasamatsu between snickers.

Mamoru -or Banba, now- huffed, crossing his arms. "That guy was smart and only picked the right fights. These are just immature idiots trying to be cool." At Kuroki's indignant protests, he sighed and grabbed hold of Toganou's and Kuroki's shoulders, gently pushing them in the direction of the Gryffindor common room.

Juumonji stood there, clenching his fists. Oh, how he wished he could just walk up to this Banba and punch him in the face. But he couldn't, he knew he couldn't. Not only because they'd get in a lot of trouble, but because he wasn't sure he had the necessary strength to hurt such a brawny older student. And even if the three of them joined their efforts and managed to get in a hit, what would happen next? Nothing good for them, that's for sure. He wasn't even sure the upperclassmen wouldn't take their wands out and torment them with their superior knowledge of hexes.

A slender hand shook his shoulder, startling him out of his thoughts. "C'mon, it'll get late otherwise," Harao said, making sure he was following, before turning back around and muttering, "All this trouble just to get three children to do as they're told. Next time, I'll send my partner."

Juumonji looked back once, in time to see his friends round the corner. His scowl deepened. He hoped the bloody speech finished soon, because he had some steam to blow off.

.

.

"Is everybody here?"

"Yeah, I counted."

"Great. Hello, first years. My name is Maruko Himuro and this is Lonan Auger. We are the sixth year's prefects." A serious, older student nodded at them. She reminded Sena a bit of Shin, all stoic and imposing. They nodded back at her, some more enthusiastic than others.

"Nice to meet you all, yeah. We are here to explain everything about the clubs to you," her partner said, expression pleasant. "If you can remember this morning's speech, our beloved headmistress said the Heads of Houses would be here to explain it to you. However, Professor Longbottom had lots of things to prepare for the upcoming weeks, so we have offered to handle this alone, thus giving him more time to prepare. We may even know the stuff better than he does, after all. Right, Maru?"

The girl nodded. Linnea and Suzuna asked a couple of questions about things they had heard or were curious about, but the prefects told them to wait, as their explanation should cover their questions nicely. They would have the chance to ask again later.

With that said, between the two of them, they explained everything there was to know about clubs. Sena listened carefully, trying to remember important facts. Clubs were a place where students with the same hobbies could meet. Clubs were mostly run by students, even if professors supervised their activities. Clubs weren't the same as extracurricular subjects. Clubs weren't part of the curriculum, so they weren't obligatory and weren't evaluated. There were clubs about anything imaginable: every subject had one club were students who wanted to learn more than what the syllabus offered could meet, experiment and learn from other students; little hobbies like knitting, card games and reading had clubs too; Quidditch teams had fan clubs, the most popular being the Chudley Cannons'. There were also religious clubs where students could practice customs and celebrate holidays that weren't included in Hogwarts' official calendar. Each club operated differently, but the majority of them met mostly in the evenings and on weekends. If someone wanted to start a club of their own, they needed at least three members and the permission of the headmistress.

After the explanation, they read off a list with all the club names on it, which they then passed around. "Any questions?" Himuro swept her gaze over all twelve of them.

Leilani raised her arm. "Yes. You said something about a 'Muggle Club'. What's that? The club for Muggle Studies?"

"In theory only," said Auger, smirking a bit. "I heard it started out that way, some years ago, but now it's been colonised by homesick muggleborns. People bring stuff from home and donate it to the club, things like comics and books and stuff, so that muggleborns don't feel that out of place. But purebloods who want to learn more are welcomed too, of course."

Leilani's face brightened up immediately. "You mean I can read comics and manga there? And discuss them with other people? And fangirl about TV series and movies?"

Himuro's eyes twinkled with amusement as she nodded.

"That's great!" Leilani said, voicing the exact words Sena was thinking. Turning to her friend, Linnea, she said, "We _have_ to join."

"It's a pity they can't have working videogames, but I guess fangirling about them is enough for now."

"I'm gonna join too!" Suzuna said, high-fiving Leilani before turning to Sena. "What about you?"

He scratched the back of his head. "I'm not sure… It sounds great, but-"

"You said the Chudley Cannons have a club? By Merlin, I'm joining right now!" Celandine all but yelled, earning a couple of laughs here and there. She smirked when Monta said he'd join too. "Why, I didn't know you had such good taste, monkey-boy. You really don't look like it."

"Who are you calling a monkey!?"

Sena laughed nervously at the growingly familiar interaction. He wondered if all of Monta's conversations with either Suzuna or Celandine would always end like that.

"What about the Duelling Club?" Yamato asked, smiling charmingly up at their upperclassmen. "Is it as obvious as it sounds?"

"Pretty much," Auger answered, tapping his chin in thought. "People go there, fight each other while being supervised, learn new spells from other students and that's about it. Sometimes they organise little tournaments and shows."

"Sounds interesting." Yamato crossed his arms, sweeping his gaze around the room in thought. Gaou smirked and Sena had the feeling he found it interesting too.

"Oh my!" Suzuna suddenly exclaimed, eyes still on the list in her hands. "Journalism Club? What is this?"

"Ah," Auger began, looking at Himuro. "I don't know much about that, Maru. Do you?"

"I know they have few members and that they are the ones that make the monthly Hogwarts newspaper," Himuro answered, frowning a bit.

"Well, duh. Aside from that?" Auger asked, earning a glare from her. He apologised, smiling sheepishly.

"We can always ask Kobanzame. He runs the place, after all." She turned to Suzuna, who looked at her expectantly. "Do you know who Osamu Kobanzame is? He's a sixth year in Hufflepuff."

"No, I don't think I do. But the club sounds awesome!"

"As it has a product to deliver before certain deadlines, the club runs a bit differently from the rest, so if you want, we'll introduce you to Kobanzame and he can explain the details. I bet he'll be in the clubroom after lunch, preparing everything for next week," Auger said, laughing at Suzuna's excited reception.

"Does anyone have more questions?" Himuro turned to look at the two boys huddled as far away as they could get away with. "You two?"

The two boys Sena had yet to talk to shook their heads, scowls still in place. Sena wondered what had happened to them to put them in such a foul mood. They had looked quite happy during breakfast.

"Great then, if no one wants to ask anything else, I say we finish our great explanation here," announced Auger, winking at them. "I bet you're all hungry. I know I am. So why don't we go to the Great Hall and see if lunch is ready yet?"

They all agreed enthusiastically and followed the prefects, discussing clubs and choices on their way there.

.

.

"I'm so hungry! I wonder what we'll have for lunch?"

Hiruma snorted. "Does it matter? You'll eat it anyway."

"Yeah, but it's always fun to try and guess," Kurita explained, smiling wistfully.

Musashi chuckled, patting his huge friend's shoulder. "We're almost there, don't worry."

"Aren't you two hungry?" Kurita asked, looking at them questioningly as they walked.

"Well, you know that Hiruma can apparently survive on gum alone, but I gotta admit I am," Musashi said, rubbing his belly. "After all that flying, I can't really help it."

Hiruma was about to comment, when he saw something from the corner of his eye. He turned his head and saw one of his ghosts gesturing at him to come closer. He stopped walking altogether, causing his friends to stop. "Hiruma? Everything okay?"

"Yeah, I just remembered I have to do something," he explained, waving away Kurita's worry. With a smirk, he added, "You know, business."

"Oh." Kurita nodded in understanding, having been desensitised long ago.

Musashi crossed his arms. "You want us to wait for you?"

"No, keep going. I'll catch up," he said, walking towards the wall where he had seen the ghost disappear. He saw his friends shrug and head towards the Great Hall. Making sure that no one was watching, he told the ghost to come out of their hiding place. The ghost was a witch that had died sometime during the first wizarding war, one that had joined his network not that long ago. She was good at it, if a bit scarce on details. He raised an eyebrow at her. "Well?"

"You told us to be vigilant of the floo fireplaces. Well, Lilliane told Edmund to tell Lord Anthony to tell me to tell you that the potion ingredients have already arrived," she said, looking at him expectantly.

A grin slowly grew on his face. Finally, something fun to do. Snape wouldn't even know what hit him. "Great. Well done," he said, nodding at her. "I'll tell you if I need your help. In the meantime, stay vigilant of those fireplaces."

"Right. I'll be going then. Have a nice lunch," she said, floating towards the ceiling.

"Wait, I need another favour," he said, making her pause expectantly. "Tell fucking Casper to meet me after lunch in the usual place."

The ghost blinked owlishly at him. "Who?"

"Hyacinth Home," he clarified, rolling his eyes.

"Oh, Sir Hyacinth! Honestly, boy, your nicknames don't help a bit. Nor the muggle references. Because it is a muggle reference, right?" she asked, putting her hands on her hips.

"Who knows," he said, shrugging. At her frown, he laughed. "You should ask him when you see him." Waving her goodbye, he headed for the Great Hall. He heard her mutter to herself as she disappeared, making him grin in amusement.

.

.

"Oh my god! Clubs are so cool, I just can't wait till next week!" Suzuna turned to Sena in excitement. "Right, Sena? Did you know about this? I didn't know there were clubs in Hogwarts!"

Sena looked up from his glass of juice, not particularly sharing her enthusiasm. "I think Mamori mentioned them a few times. She's a member of a couple of them, I think."

"Is she!?" Monta asked, from his seat next to Sena's, swallowing what was in his mouth and looking wistfully at the enchanted ceiling. "I'd join any club if it meant being with her."

Sena let out a nervous little laugh, while Suzuna snorted. "Mamori is so smart, she's probably joined clubs for smart people like her. You wouldn't last a day there."

Monta's dreamy expression quickly dropped and was replaced by annoyance. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Feeling that another bickering session was about to happen, Sena decided to step in. "So, Suzuna, you look really excited to join the Journalism Club."

Suzuna's face immediately lit up. "Well, I don't exactly know what I'm gonna do there, but making a newspaper sounds like so much fun! Plus, it'll allow me to meet lots of people. And their secrets," she added with a mischievous smirk. "What about you? What club are you going to join?"

Sena scratched his temple, lowering his gaze to his half-empty glass. "I've never joined any club at school. Most were too much for me, so I stayed away from them. I have no idea what to expect here. Maybe it's better if I don't join any club at all."

Suzuna watched him, brows furrowing in thought, and didn't comment when Monta passed an arm over Sena's shoulders. "Don't worry, Sena! Here it's different, nothing like those schools for little kids you have in the muggle world. We can join a club together if you want," the boy said, looking determined. "No, wait, we should totally join one together!"

Sena smiled, nodding. "That'd be great."

"The Chudley Cannons Fan Club is a must! And then of course the Quidditch club!"

Sena's smile turned uncertain. "Ah, well, maybe. But I don't really think I-"

"It's gonna be awesome, Sena, you'll see!"

"If you don't want anything to do with sports," Suzuna interjected, "you can join some club with me."

He gave her a smile. "Thanks. To the both of you. But I'm not very good at this kind of thing, so..."

"What's there to be good at? It's just a club," Monta reasoned, scratching his head.

Sena laughed nervously and tapped his thumbs together. "Well, yeah, but I'm not very good with… people. And I wouldn't want to hold anyone back if I join one."

Monta slapped his forehead, sighing deeply. "Merlin! You really have some confidence issues!"

Before he could say anything else, Suzuna cut in, pointing at them with her fork. "If that's the case, we can always ask Mamori about it, right? I'm sure she'll have some advice to give you, and you know you can trust her judgement."

"That's a great idea!" Sena nodded enthusiastically, always eager to have an excuse to seek Mamori's company. "Wonder when she'll have a bit of time for us?"

"We can go ask her now!" she moved to stand.

"What? Now? But we are eating!" Sena protested, stopping her in her tracks.

She pouted, sitting back down. "So what?"

"And we shouldn't go to another House's table… We might bother someone."

"Oh, c'mon, Sena! Do you see anyone in their right seat today?"

"Well…" Sena had noticed, of course. He had seen a couple of people change seats during the week, but it seemed weekends were seen as much more informal occasions and many people had used the chance to have breakfast with their friends from other Houses. Now it wasn't much different than it had been in the morning. "Not really."

As far as he could see, the girls from his year were all there, but the boys had moved around a bit. Riku was still there, but Yamato had quickly finished his lunch and excused himself to sit at the Ravenclaw table. Gaou had gone missing too, but his bulk was easily spotted at the Slytherin table, probably with that boy he sat next to during class.

Sitting at the corner of the table, various seats away from the first years' group, were the two other boys from his year, who he'd learnt from Riku were called Kuroki and Toganou. They were quietly talking with a blond boy, who Sena supposed was their friend from Slytherin. It was difficult to tell without the uniform on. They looked angry and frustrated for some reason, as they had during the prefects' speech about clubs. Sena was a bit sad that they had reverted again, when during breakfast, they had looked so relaxed and happy for the first time since Sena had met them.

He supposed the rest of the table was also filled with students from other Houses, only few of whom he had met. Actually, the only students he recognised were Koutarou and Julie, who sat some seats over to the right. They were with another boy, the friend they'd been talking about the other day, probably. Sena was surprised by the way the three of them were dressed. He recalled thinking that the two Gryffindor upperclassmen looked quite stylish even with the school uniform on. Now that the three were dressed in their own clothes, they looked as if they had just stepped out of one of those fashion magazines his mom liked to read.

Suddenly, Koutarou raised his gaze and caught him staring. Sena yelped and jumped in his seat, startling Suzuna and Monta. Instead of getting angry like he had thought, Koutarou just smiled broadly and elbowed his redheaded friend. "Look, those are the firsties we met the other day," he stated, none too quietly.

His friend turned to look at them. His gaze was a bit unsettling, Sena realised, because his eyes were a shocking red. His expression, however, was nothing but pleasant. "Oh, I see. That's lucky, I was meaning to talk to them anyway," he said, getting up and sitting down on an empty seat in front of Sena, his two friends following behind.

"You wanted to talk to them? Why?" Koutarou frowned in confusion.

"Quidditch things," the redhead quickly dismissed, earning the attention of the sports fans. "Nice to meet you all. I'm Hayato Akaba. Would any of you be Yamato, by any chance?"

Riku, who sat right next to Suzuna, shook his head. "He's over at the Ravenclaw's."

"Oh, what a pity. I really wanted to meet him. What about Gaou?"

"He's over there," Suzuna answered this time, pointing at the Slytherin table.

"My, my. Lady Luck seems to be mocking me." The redhead carded his hand through his stylish hair.

"I don't even know who those are!" Koutarou complained with a pout, earning sympathetic pats on the back from Julie. "How do you know those?"

Akaba raised an eyebrow. "Sometimes you forget who exactly I share a room with. I was just curious to see what new instruments would join the orchestra this year."

It seemed to be enough of an explanation, apparently, because Koutarou's face lit up in understanding, even though Sena didn't get a thing. He just shared a puzzled look with Monta, who shrugged.

"Ah, but I'm sorry if that came off as rude. I'd love to know your names too," Akaba said, smiling in a way that reminded Sena of TV stars.

Suzuna excitedly presented the three of them, leaving Riku to present himself.

"I'm Riku Kaitani. Nice to meet you," he said pleasantly, but Sena had known him long enough to know something was bothering him.

"Look, those three there were complete jerks. Don't go near them," Koutarou advised, pointing at Toganou, Kuroki and their friend.

"Oh my, how can I not? One of them is a fellow Slytherin, isn't he? I can feel the vibration of his melody in the air. He's one of mine."

Before anyone could comment on his strange choice of words, Julie cut in with a smile. "Oh look, there are the girls. They are such cuties this year, I swear."

"Yeah, so cute," Koutarou easily agreed, but quickly brought his face closer to Akaba's ear, attempting to whisper, "Careful with the blonde one, though. She's super mean."

"I heard that, clown!" Celandine yelled, scowling at Koutarou from five seats away.

"See!? See!?" Koutarou exclaimed, looking at Akaba with expectation while gesturing towards the blonde. "What did I tell you? Completely and unnecessarily mean!"

She huffed. "I'm not gonna lower myself to talking to you," she said, sticking her nose up in the air. She then noticed Akaba smiling in amusement and frowned at him. "And who are you?"

"Hayato Akaba."

"Oh, I know," she said, wrinkling her nose. "You're the Slytherin one, aren't you?"

"Why, yes, I am a Slytherin. That's an astute observation, seeing as I'm not wearing my uniform right now. How did you guess?"

"You snakes have a particular stench that I would never miss," she said arrogantly, looking at Akaba down her nose.

"Celandine!" protested the girl next to her, Areebah, grabbing her elbow in urgency.

"What? It's true," Celandine defended, turning away from her friend. "Honestly, Julie, I don't get why you'd want to be friends with a clown and a snake."

"Charming," commented Akaba, but he didn't sound offended in the slightest.

Julie just laughed, completely unbothered by the girl's words. "But they are the best friends I could hope for! I wouldn't change them for the world."

"Awwww," cooed Koutarou, hugging her. "I wouldn't change you either."

"You are a clown though," she said, poking his forehead teasingly.

"Just sometimes," he admitted with a grin.

"Excuse me," Riku interjected with a serious expression, looking straight at Akaba, who gave him his full attention. "Can I ask why you were looking for Yamato and Gaou?"

"Of course. I've been told they plan to try out for the Quidditch team, so I was curious."

Riku narrowed his eyes. "They aren't the only ones, you know."

A smirk slowly appeared on Akaba's face. "Fuuu, I see. This year, we have lots of brave fellows."

"I'm going to the tryouts, too!" Monta shouted, unnecessarily loud.

"Me too." Celandine glared defiantly at the redhead.

Koutarou whistled, impressed. "That's a lot of firsties. Careful there, Akaba; if the Slytherin firsties are the same, you might lose your spot on the team!"

"Well, I always did love a challenge. I just hope the Slytherin firsties are as passionate as you are," he said, looking at those three with a calm smile on his face. Celandine huffed, but her friend Areebah managed to keep her from commenting.

Sena might not know or like Quidditch much, but he was happy for his friends and roommates. Having an older player support their choice of trying out for the team was encouraging and relieving at the same time. It was fortunate they had upperclassmen that supported them, like Takami, Akaba, Koutarou and Julie. It was like having more than one Mamori taking care of them, which was always nice.

"You play?" Riku asked, curious. "What position?"

"Chaser."

"That's the position I'm gonna try out for!"

Akaba cocked his head to the side in contemplation. "We'll be playing head on, then."

Riku, seeing that he was being taken seriously, finally relaxed. Monta too started animatedly talking about the position he was aiming for. Sena listened intently, happy for his friends, as Akaba began describing his teammates and players from other Houses. Suddenly, Koutarou, who had been bickering with Julie and the first year girls, stood up. His two friends looked up at him questioningly.

"I gotta go to the toilet," he said solemnly.

Akaba stood up too, face straight. "We better hurry, then."

Julie laughed. "Seriously, guys, you should apply for drama school," she teased, getting up and following after them, waving to the first years. "Bye-bye! See you later!"

They all hurriedly waved them goodbye, a bit confused. "Okay, that's weird. Are they really going to the loo together?"

"Friendship goals, Monta, friendship goals," Suzuna said, grinning.

Monta frowned in confusion. "Okay, but-"

"Hey, Taki."

Sena turned at the sound of the voice, as did the rest around him, to find one of the prefects from before, Himuro, standing there. They all greeted her and she nodded at them in return, before focusing on Suzuna once more. "Have you finished your lunch? If so, I can take you to Kobanzame right now."

Suzuna beamed. "Yes! Let's go!" With her usual enthusiasm, she stood up from her seat and smiled up at Himuro, signalling for her to lead the way. She turned with a questioning look. "Aren't you coming, Sena?"

Sena jumped a bit on his seat, looking around nervously. "I… I- yeah, okay. What about you guys?" he asked, looking between Monta and Riku.

They both shared a glance and shrugged. The four of them followed Himuro, not unlike ducklings, to the Hufflepuff table.

"Kobanzame," Himuro greeted as they reached the table, making a brown-haired student who had been talking to some younger boys jump in fright.

"Ah! What!? What!?" he asked frantically, turning and looking everywhere around him, until he spotted the serious prefect. "Ah, Himuro. Don't frighten me like that," he pleaded, putting a hand to his chest. Himuro apologised and explained that one of her first years wanted to know more about the Journalism Club. Kobanzame actually seemed enthusiastic about that, looking at the four of them with hopeful eyes. "Is that so? That's great, because we don't have many people right now, so if one of you joined us, everything would be easier!"

"Kobanzame, you don't have anyone right now," Himuro reminded him, an amused glint in her eyes.

"Ah, well, of course. The official applications haven't been made yet, but last year's crew is on board, at least that I know of," he said, scratching his temple.

Suzuna immediately perked up, introducing herself and asking all kinds of questions about the club, the newspaper and the other members. While the two talked animatedly, Sena couldn't help but let his eyes wander along the table. He was surprised to see a group of young students, probably first and second years, that was covered from head to toe with some kind of paint. Older students were helping them clean up with both spells and moist napkins. "What happened to them?" he asked his friends, who had noticed too.

"You… you don't think it was the scary guy from the first night, right?" Monta wondered, taking a step back.

Himuro, who had been watching the animated talk between Kobanzame and Suzuna in amusement, followed their line of sight and sighed. "That was another one of Peeves' attacks, I'm afraid."

"Peeves?" the three of them asked in unison, turning to her. Riku frowned, looking thoughtful. "You mean the poltergeist?"

"Exactly. He enjoys pulling pranks on anyone, but particularly on the youngest," she explained, her opinion evident in her dry tone. Noticing the way Sena stiffened in fear and Riku frowned in worry, she added, "Don't worry, he's just a prankster. He's bothersome, but not dangerous and doesn't attack too often."

Monta nodded, not too worried, while Sena just offered a weak smile. So not only were there monsters and ghosts in the castle, but also poltergeists that would cover people in paint just because? Sena, not for the first time, thought that whoever had designed the castle had been quite the sadist.

"Guys!" Suzuna called, a huge grin in her face. "Kobanzame is going to show me the clubroom now. You coming?"

While Sena wasn't particularly interested in the school's newspaper, nor the club that was responsible for it, he decided that he'd tag along, seeing as he didn't have anything else to do. Also, Suzuna had come with him the other day when he'd gone looking for Mamori, so he supposed it was the least he could do for her. Riku and Monta seemed to have similar thoughts, because in no time, the four of them found themselves in front of one of the many doors in the hallways, waiting for Kobanzame to open it.

Suzuna immediately slipped in, looking everywhere and asking questions nonstop. Riku entered more calmly, looking around curiously. Sena was about to enter, when he saw something moving from the corner of his eyes. He snapped his head to the side, paranoia winning over logic. What if it was that poltergeist? Or an ill-intentioned ghost? Or some other monster they hadn't been told about? He calmed down when he saw it was only a girl walking down the hallway, carrying a couple of heavy tomes in her arms. He frowned softly, thinking that maybe he had met her somewhere.

"Sena. You coming?" asked Monta, who was just about to enter and was giving him a confused look.

"Ah, yeah, yeah," he said, turning his head towards his friend, but keeping his gaze on the girl. "Give me a sec."

Monta shrugged and went inside. Sena stared at the girl for a bit longer, eyes narrowed, but unable to pinpoint why she was so familiar. The girl raised her head to look at him and they both froze. They just stared at each other, like deer caught in headlights, as realisation sank in. Suddenly filled with a courage he didn't recognise, Sena spoke up first. "You… you're the girl from the Sorting! You were sorted into Ravenclaw, right? How's it going? Everything okay?"

The girl looked surprised, but nervously lowered her head when it was her turn to speak, looking down at her feet.

Sena quickly stepped back, waving his hands frantically. "I'm sorry! Sorry, sorry! I just- I was excited to finally recognise you and didn't stop to think if you remembered who I was. Sorry, this must have been weird-"

"N-no, it's okay," she cut him off, looking up through her eyelashes with a nervous smile. "I remember you. I'm just surprised you remember me."

Sena paused in his hasty apology, sighing in relief. "Oh, that's good. I thought I had scared you."

She lowered her gaze again, cheeks reddening. "I'm sorry I didn't answer. I… I get nervous around strangers and I was just trying to get my voice to work."

Sena nodded, saying softly, "Yeah, I know what you mean. I'm usually like that too. I'm not sure what came over me, to be honest. Maybe… maybe it's because I was so glad to meet you again!" he said, trying to smile reassuringly. The girl returned the smile and Sena was relieved to see that apparently he had succeeded more than at that time during the Sorting. His smile widened as he offered his hand. "Let's start again. I'm Sena Kobayakawa. Nice to meet you."

She moved her books so she could carry them all in one arm and took his hand softly, but without hesitation. "Nice to meet you, Sena. I'm Karin Koizumi."

When they dropped the handshake, Sena nervously realised that he didn't know what to say next. He anxiously twisted his hands together. "And… um… how's… how's Ravenclaw?" he asked, flinching at how awkward it sounded.

Karin, however, hugged her books a bit closer to her chest with a small smile. "It's good. Everyone has been nice to me and I'm learning so much. It's exciting to be able to explore a whole new world."

"Oh, you aren't from the wizard community then? Me neither. Sometimes I still can't quite believe it's true," he confessed.

"They call us muggleborns, I think. Yes, I know, it's surreal, isn't it? Hogwarts is wonderful. I feel like I'm in a fairy tale."

Sena nodded, unconsciously grimacing in fright. "Wonderful half of the time, yeah, but it's pretty scary too," he said, then immediately regretted it. There was no need to bother Karin's positive thinking with his cowardliness. He was surprised when she returned the grimace.

"Ye-yeah, I know. Monsters lurking everywhere, a maze of a castle, frightening teachers _and_ students..." she said, staring at Sena with wide eyes, before offering a small, wobbly smile.

Sena gave a long, relieved sigh. "Thank goodness. I thought I was the only one who thought like that," he admitted.

"I don't think so. I think most muggleborns are as scared as we are," Karin said, shrugging her shoulders to alleviate the weight the books brought upon her arms. Sena, noticing the movement, apologised for keeping her and asked where she was heading. "I'm meeting some friends a bit further away."

"Oh, of course, of course. I'll … uhm …" Sena looked back at the clubroom entrance, where his friends were listening to Kobanzame's excited explanations in awe. He chewed on his bottom lip in thought. He wanted to talk more with Karin, now that he had officially met her, and get to know her better. His friends seemed entertained enough and wouldn't even notice his absence, but he didn't want to make Karin herself uncomfortable. "I could go with you, if you want," he said, offering a small smile. At Karin's surprised face, it quickly dropped and was replaced by an embarrassed and nervous expression. "O-only if you want, of course! I wanted to talk to you more, but if you don't want to, it's fine, it's totally fine! I mean, we could meet another day. Or not… Whatever you want!"

She blinked at his babbling, but a slow smile started to grow on her face, calming Sena down a bit. "It's fine. I'd like to talk to you more too, if you have time now," she said, watching Sena nod with a smile of his own. She pointed to the end of the hallway. "I have to go there."

"Great! Let's go then! Do you need help with your books?"

"Oh no, don't worry," she said, shaking her head. They stayed silent for a bit, with Sena gloomily thinking he was rubbish at making conversation and frantically trying to come up with something to say. Karin beat him to it. "So how are you doing in Gryffindor?"

"Good! It's good. I made two friends and reunited with my childhood friend, so that's great. And the rest are," he said, although for some reason his thoughts went to Yamato, then to Gaou and the two boys that were always on their own, making him pause for a second, "... nice. And the upperclassmen are very kind and helpful too."

"That's great. You must be happy."

"Yeah. Yeah," Sena said, smiling. "So... If I remember correctly, Ravenclaw is the House for the clever and studious? You must be very smart!"

Karin's smile turned a bit nervous. "Not really. To be honest, I'm not sure why I'm in this House at all. Everyone's way out of my league."

"Oh, just like me then! I'm not brave or anything like that, but the Hat told me something about being more than I look like? I still don't understand, but I guess he has his reasons."

"He told me my creativity and originality would do well in Ravenclaw. You see, I love the arts more than anything else, particularly painting," Karin confessed, a bright shine in her eyes as she talked about her passion.

"That must be it! I have a friend there, but she's the total opposite," he said, chuckling under his breath, remembering the drawings Mamori would send him for his birthday. "Maybe you know her. Mamori Anezaki, in fourth year?"

Karin tilted her head to the side, thinking, but finally shook her head. "I'm sorry. We've only been approached by the prefects and … two eccentric upperclassmen," she finished with a grimace.

Sena blinked. "Eccentric?" he mused out loud, thinking back to Koutarou, Julie and Akaba. They were eccentric, no doubt about that, but they were also very nice. Before he could ask any more about them, Karin beat him to it, hurriedly trying to explain herself.

"Oh, don't get me wrong! They were nice and told us about lots of things, but they were just a bit… too over the top?" she said, a bit unsure, and Sena nodded, thinking back to most of the students he had met so far. Karin continued, "They told us something that really struck me, though, about Ravenclaw."

"What?"

Karin pressed her books a bit closer to her chest, looking ahead. "They said there were two sides to Ravenclaw. They called them the light and the dark side."

"Is that… a Star Wars reference?"

"I'm not sure. They were both purebloods, I think, even though they both showed interest in muggle things. They said they were part of the dark side and wanted to see where the first years fit."

Sena gulped, his imagination coming up with frightening theories about this 'dark side'. Was it some sort of cult? A type of mafia, maybe? He had heard stories of some dark group aiding the wizard equivalent of Hitler some two decades ago. Could it be that the group still lived on in Ravenclaw? A cold sweat broke out on his forehead and back. "S-so, what's this 'dark side' about?"

"From what I gathered, they are the Ravenclaws that are terrible students, not because they aren't smart enough, but because they are so focused on their own research and projects that they forget to complete assignments and sometimes even forget to go to class."

Sena stopped walking altogether, shell-shocked. "Wait, what?"

Karin nodded. "Yes, almost like those mad scientists on TV, you know? Appleton and Ackerman, the upperclassmen that explained this to us, said that there is a surprisingly large number of students who fit into the 'dark side', taking into account the House's fame. The 'light side' is what most people imagine Ravenclaw to be, good students with high marks."

Sena couldn't help but giggle at the explanation. At Karin's questioning look, he said, "Sorry, it's just that I imagined something else when you mentioned a 'dark side'."

"Oh, I see. Something like masks, red lightsabres and laborious breathing?" she asked, grinning in amusement.

Sena laughed, carding a hand through his hair in embarrassment. "Yeah, something like that. So what side are you?"

"I think light. I'm not a great student, but I don't think I'm brave enough to break the rules just to follow my own curiosity. Some of my peers are, though," she said fondly. She looked a bit further ahead and smiled. Sena followed her gaze and saw a girl waving in their direction, shouting Karin's name. "That's my friend," she said, turning to look at him. "See you around, then, Sena? If you want, of course!" she hurriedly added, looking embarrassed.

"Of course!" Sena was quick to answer, nodding his head for emphasis. Then it occurred to him. "Are you applying for the Muggle Club?"

Karin raised her eyebrows, thinking. "I think I may. It sounds like something I'll need to keep myself from going crazy in this place."

"That's great! I think I'm going to apply for it too!"

They smiled at each other, marvelling at how easy it was. They were both nervous and uncertain klutzes, but they seemed to get along just fine. Karin's friend called again, sounding impatient, so they both said their goodbyes, promising to see each other again in the Muggle Club.

"Ah, wait!" Sena said suddenly, turning around again to face Karin's retreating back. She turned around to look at him. "I'm sorry, I just have a bad history of getting lost in this castle. The place we came from is just at the end of the hallway, right?" he asked, twisting his hands in embarrassment.

Karin giggled a bit, nodding. "Yeah, that's it. Just go straight ahead."

"Okay, thanks. See you around!" he said, waving her goodbye. She returned it and began walking with her friend, who seemed irritated and a bit curious about the whole exchange. Sena just quickened his pace, for the first time worrying about his friends noticing his absence. They'd be worried, for sure, and that was the last thing he wanted.

He was so focused on his own thoughts, he almost didn't notice the three students coming his way. He unconsciously straightened when he recognised them, nervous for some reason he couldn't quite pinpoint. Even so, he decided to trust his gut and tried to make himself as inconspicuous as possible, praying to be left alone.

"Why didn't we just punch that prick in the face?" asked the brunet hotly. Kuroki, if Sena remembered correctly.

"Did you see him? His arms are, like, one of us each? We didn't stand a chance," replied the other Gryffindor, Toganou. Sena didn't know what they were talking about, but it made him nervous to finally have his fears turn out true: the three of them seemed to be prone to fights. He just hoped they weren't bullies too.

"So what, are we cowards now?" Kuroki seemed angrier with each passing second.

"No, but… it wasn't worth it. They were in sixth year. We don't go against sixteen-year-olds even back at home." The Slytherin student put a hand on Kuroki's shoulder, who just clicked his tongue and turned his face away.

"C'mon, man, don't be like that. Tell you what, we'll find some dumb asshole to punch, okay? To let off some steam."

"Yeah," the Slytherin student agreed, patting Kuroki's shoulder. "Someone easy, just a punching bag. Someone like," in that instant, he raised his eyes and stared straight at Sena, who was trembling from head to toe, "him."

Sena's brain came to a halt, mind going blank for a second. He forgot about Hogwarts and magic and everything he had learnt since discovering he was a wizard like Mamori and her family. He was back at elementary school, back to having no friends, back to being alone and scared. Back to being bullied by his peers. So he didn't think, he didn't say anything, he didn't plan anything. He just did what came most naturally for his body: he bolted.

He didn't get far, however, as one of them appeared in front of him, cutting off his escape route. "Hey, mate, going somewhere?" Kuroki asked mockingly.

Before Sena could react, the other two had surrounded him, moving in sync. His trembling got worse and he started to stutter, not exactly sure of what he was even saying.

"Shut up," the Slytherin student said, grabbing him by the front of his clothes. He yelled in fear, shielding his face with his arms. He heard a laugh and a click of a tongue. "I told you to shut up."

"I'm sorry!" he shouted, closing his eyes, voice a few pitches higher than was normal.

"Huh, he's such a pushover, I almost feel bad," Toganou said.

"Huh? Whatever. It'll be quick anyway." Kuroki sounded excited. Sena heard knuckles crack and began frantically praying for whatever god that would listen to get him out of that mess.

"I said, shut up." The hand grabbing him raised him until his feet weren't touching the ground. He hadn't noticed he was praying aloud, but he must have. He apologised again, earning a shake, then finally clamped his mouth closed. Kuroki was saying something, when a very loud roar interrupted him. Sena lowered his arms a bit and opened his eyes, looking around himself and taking in the shocked faces of the bullies.

"What the bloody-!?" started the Slytherin holding him, only for another roar to be heard. This time, Sena was able to discern where exactly it was coming from. He turned his head to stare at the end of the hallway and was greeted with a nightmarish sight. A monster of myths. He didn't remember Hagrid warning them of a three-headed dog roaming the hallways of the castle. _Well_ , he thought with a hysterical smile, _at least it's not as big as in Hercules_. He was suddenly dropped as the three bullies turned their full attention to the roaring monster.

"Juumonji? What's that?" asked Kuroki, as breathlessly as Sena felt.

The Slytherin boy, eyes as wide as saucers, swallowed. "N-nothing good. Let's just get outta-"

He was interrupted when the dog roared one last time, before running towards them. Sena, who had just managed to stand on his feet after falling on his backside, shrieked and bolted. This time, however, instead of being stopped by the three bullies, he noticed them following him closely, shouting and cursing.

Sena ran like there was no tomorrow, determined not to become a dog treat. He heard growls and jaws snapping closed behind him, so his legs started running faster without needing him to tell them to. Behind him, he heard a yelp from one of the bullies, but he didn't dare look back. He saw Kuroki, though, who was running almost next to him, throwing his arm backwards to grab the hand of his friend and help him run faster.

He wanted to cry at his bad luck. When did it go wrong? He had been talking to Karin one moment, and the next, he was about to get beaten by three bullies, only to be saved by an otherworldly beast that wanted to eat him.

"I thought Kerberos only lived in the Greek underworld!?" shouted Toganou somewhere behind him.

"Of course not! There's no such thing!" the Slytherin boy shouted back.

Another roar, this time almost directly behind them, had them all shrieking. Sena just wanted to die. Just not in the jaws of that monster. He finally felt hope rearing its head, when he saw a door leading to the gardens. _We're saved_ , he thought, eyes filled with tears.

They all but burst through the door, shouting for help and almost tripping over their own feet at the change of floor texture. The students enjoying their time in the gardens snapped their attention to them, confused and irritated by the ruckus, until they spotted the beast running after them. Panic spread all around them then, with students running away, climbing trees or taking their wands out. He saw and heard some older students throwing spells the dog's way, making it stop and roar, even though it sounded more annoyed than hurt. Sena was so relieved to finally not have that monster after him that he tripped, the boys behind him falling on top of him. Kuroki shouted in surprise, then helped his friends get up. Sena sat up with difficulty.

The four of them looked back at where the beast was somehow being contained by a group of students. The dog snapped its jaws and growled at them, but didn't attack anybody. A sudden loud whistling had all six of the dog's ears perking up. The students stopped their spells too, looking around, but there was no visible source. Another whistle made the dog bark and run towards the unknown source of the sound, rounding the castle and going out of sight.

They all sighed in relief, putting their wands away again. "Damn Hiruma," Sena heard one of the students mutter. He shuddered, dreading to think of the possibility of such a scary individual being somehow responsible for that monster attacking them. He observed some of the students coming closer to them with worry on their faces and suddenly remembered that the guys he was sitting with had been about to beat him. He looked at them nervously.

They were glaring down at him, and he gulped in fear, backpedalling away from Kuroki, who was standing almost directly next to him. The Slytherin student clicked his tongue, frowning down at him. "You are lucky this time, midget."

Sending one last glare his way, the three of them went back the way they had come, disappearing into the castle's innards. Sena stared after them, feeling troubled.

"Are you okay?" said someone to his right, offering him a hand to help him stand. He nodded numbly, taking the hand and thanking him, but inside he wasn't so sure. He wondered if he would be able to reach the winter break alive.

.

.

Rui Habashira wasn't a whiner. Nor a loser. Neither was he a pushover. But in that moment, like multiple other times in the past, he thought, _why me?_ This time, unlike in the past, he was brave and fed up enough to ask it aloud.

"You are the perfect guy for the task," was the answer.

Rui frowned, looking around as he gestured with his hands. "Why not Kongou? You're mates again, aren't you?"

"Hell no, he'd whine way more than you do."

Rui stared at the back of the guy he was following, thousands of thoughts, insults and comebacks flying around in his head. He could have bashed his head against the wall, when the only one that came out aloud was, "I'm not whining!"

He gritted his teeth when he was hushed. Sometimes he really, really hated Hiruma. Especially when the crazy bastard thought that roping him into a trip around the castle in the middle of the night was a good idea. "Why do we have to hunt down your cameras now?" he asked, trying and failing to convince himself that he wasn't whining again.

"You prefer doing it in broad daylight?"

"I prefer not having to do it at all!"

"I said hush, idiot," Hiruma said, in that tone that made Rui nervous.

For the rest of the trip, they stayed silent, except when Hiruma grabbed him and whispered a camouflaging spell when Filch or a professor passed near them. No matter how many times Rui had been roped into accompanying Hiruma for his crazy plots, both during day and night, he'd never got used to the feeling of his heart hammering in his chest with such force that it almost made the task of breathing difficult. They finally reached one camera's location. Rui had no idea how Hiruma had managed to make them work in Hogwarts, but he did know that he had been working on that for a long time, so it came as no surprise. There were various scary geniuses in the school, Kongou being one of them of course, but in his opinion, no one was as scary as Hiruma. Not because of his attitude, which admittedly was also scary as hell, but because once he bit into something he was interested in, he wouldn't let it go no matter the odds.

Hiruma turned to look at him, pointing at the floor below the camera. Gritting his teeth, Rui knelt low there, grateful that they had done this enough times in the past for Hiruma to slip without effort onto his shoulders. He braced himself on his thighs and carefully stood up, watching Hiruma skilfully replace the camera with another. "Why are we doing this by hand?" he whispered, frowning when Hiruma tapped his hand as a signal to lower himself again.

"The spells I put on them can barely keep them from breaking from ambient magic. They wouldn't survive a spell directed at them, no matter its nature."

"So we have to go one by one? Please tell me you didn't put many up."

Hiruma grinned funnily at him. "Why, don't tell me a Quidditch star such as yourself can't handle a couple of squats through the night?" Rui just frowned at him, opting not to open his mouth this time. It seemed to be the correct choice, because Hiruma began talking by himself, voice soft so as not to be heard by anyone else than Rui. "Still, I need to find a way to make a computer work here. It's a bother having to replace all the cameras because I'm only able to see the footage on the camera itself."

"You have to replace _every_ camera?" he asked in dismay.

" _We_ have to replace every camera," Hiruma said with a smirk. Rui felt like crying.

The next morning, when Ikkyuu commented on the dark bags under his eyes, Akaba had to hold him back to keep him from attacking the runt.

 **Hi! Thanks for reading! I just wanted to point out the conversation the Huh Huh Brothers have while climbing the stairs was inspired by this Tumblr post: gotinteresttumblr** **com/post/143194888446/thegladelf-auroralynches-into-the-weeds**


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